Tokyo Ghoul: The One-Eyed Swordsman
by Daemon of Wrath
Summary: Sometimes, heroes lose their humanity... But that does not mean they are the real monsters.
1. Tragedy

_**Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride, the author of many BRILLIANT stories such as Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R-eset, Code Geass: Miraculous Birthday, Infinite Stratos: For Answer, Devil Survivor: Destiny Rewind, Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack, RWBY's Reaper, TOKYO GHOUL: Requiem for a Demon, Fractured Reality, Those that Defy Fate, Tokyo Ghoul DxD, Other Self Online, Code SURVIVOR, Tokyo Ghoul:reBIRTH, Lost Colors: A New Translation, and many, many more! **_

_**He is a good friend of mine, and I highly recommend all his stories!**_

_**And now, Let us present to you….Tokyo Ghoul: One-Eyed Swordsman**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Tragedy**

"Asuna, run!"A young man begged, his arm bleeding.

"B-but...Kirito-kun!" The chestnut haired girl tired to argue, but the raven haired teen wouldn't let her.

"Don't argue with me! Just run away! Please!" He shouted at her, desperation evident in his voice.

It was supposed to be a fun date. It was supposed to be the time of their life.

It wasn't supposed to be a living nightmare.

"Do you really believe I'll let you escape?" A malicious voice cut through his thoughts. Kirito whipped around, fear slowly taking over. Before his eyes...was the monster of their nightmare.

He was dressed all in black from head to toe, a black trench coat with a hood, a black mask stained with blood, black leather jeans, and combat boots. Around his arm was a black blade that spiraled around the bicep before becoming a full blade, reaching above his wrist and extending down to the ground.

'Shit, I thought we had lost him!' Kirito thought as he hissed in pain, grabbing his arm. Red liquid was beginning to leak down his appendage.

"Heh, thought you could escape me...?" The beast questioned as he stalked his prey. "With you bleeding that much, it wasn't hard to track your scent. After all, your blood is just so savory..." He licked his lips as if he came across a delicious delicacy.

"Why are you chasing us?!" Asuna screamed, tears threatening to fall from her face as he stalked towards them. "What did we do?!"

"Nothing." the beast said. "I was just hungry... I usually eat two people, but a couple is truly something else." Kirito could feel him grinning from beneath his mask. "Now... how shall I kill you?"

"E-eat us...?!" Asuna backpedaled in fear. This man was growing more and more disturbing with each passing second. "...are you a cannibal?"

"Close..." through the eyeholes of his mask, his eyes changed before their eyes. A bloody crimson hue took the color of the iris while a midnight black devoured the white sclera.

Kirito's eyes widened in horror. "Y-you're a...!"

"Keheheh..." the creature giggled as he took a step forward. "So then... Which one of you wants to be nutrients first?"

The raven-haired teen scowled, his teeth grinding against each other. "Asuna... run."

"W-what?!"

"I'm telling you to run! Get out of here!" he yelled at her.

"B-bu, Kirito-kun...!"

"And what makes you think.." the Ghoul chuckled as he crouched, a sign he was about to pounce. "I'll let you escape?"

If there was one thing Kirito had been known for, regardless of what game he was in... it was his suicidal tendencies.

Just as the man moved, Kirito moved in and rammed his knee in the man's stomach, causing him to pause. Using the opportunity, he delivered a harsh strike to his masked face with his leg, forcing him back and leaving the monster staggering. "Asuna, go!"

"B-but-!"

"NOW!"

Asuna cringed. Never before had Kirito raised his voice like that at her. His expression was hard, and his eyes glowed with desperation for her safety.

Tears fell from her face, teeth grinding together. "Make it back alive..." she whispered as she turned and ran as far as her legs would carry her. Kirito smiled briefly before he turned his attention back to the man, who had regained balance. 'All that's left is to lure this guy away!' he thought as he prepared himself.

"You might have gotten your girlfriend away..." the Ghoul stated. "But can you say the same about yourself?"

"I don't have to..." Kirito boldly responded. His words caught the man off guard. He's not even trying to escape? "...Because I'm making sure you go nowhere near her!"

"...Ahaha! Pretty big talk for such a weak-looking human! But then again, I always did enjoy playing with my food!"

'This guy isn't human...' Kirito thought as he looked around the alleyway for any sort of route he could take to lure him away, to someplace where he could actually fight the bastard. 'Nothing will work against him... but maybe...'

His gaze shifted to a warning sign on his left. On it were big, red letters that read:

DANGER! CONSTRUCTION SITE! DO NOT ENTER!

'Well, isn't that convenient?' he mused as he made a mad dash into the blockaded area. The assailant was a mere few meters behind. He was so preoccupied with catching his prey that he failed to notice where he had been heading.

"Aw, all that talk from earlier?" the man cackled. "I've never been any good with cat and mouse, but this will be fine!"

Kirito ignored the man's words and kept running. If his intuition was correct, then there was a particular place within this site that could give him an advantage. All that was left was to find it before he gets mauled.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw the man chasing after him at full speed, the demonic blade dragging along the ground. 'Shit!' Kirito scowled as he quickly ducked underneath a swipe, his body rolling forward. Again, he had to move away from being impaled.

"You're pretty fast..." the man praised, a grin forming beneath his mask. "Perhaps I should use this then..."

Kirito thought it was his eyes playing tricks on him, but he quickly shook off those ideas, knowing that it was all too real. Two new appendages had erupted from the man's shoulder blades. The new masses were as black as the midnight sky, which gave off a stronger contrast to the lunar silver lining, veins, and nuclei they possessed. They gave off the semblance of shifting shadows and light on a constant dance.

If the raven haired teen didn't know any better, he would've thought that they were the wings of an Angel in the process of falling from grace.

"Chimeras like me aren't too common, ya know..." the man informed him. "A blade with speed... the ultimate way to kill, wouldn't you agree, kid? It's because of this that I got the name Bushido from those damned doves."

"Funny." Kirito remarked, grimacing when he felt the adrenaline beginning to fade from his arm, allowing the pain to set in. "You sure as hell don't act like the chivalrous type!"

"You're right! I don't!" He cackled, as if it were all a big joke. "It's totally ironic! But that's what makes it funny, don't you agree?"

"You bastard..." Kirito growled. "Just how many people did you kill?!"

"That depends..." Bushido shrugged. "Which do you mean? For enjoyment? Or for hunger?"

Each word that comes out of the man's mouth only fueled Kirito's rage. The man before him was no better than the PK guild, Laughing Coffin. Just remembering those monsters made his blood boil. They have crossed his friends too many times.

"So then..." Kirito started, glaring at Bushido with hatred. "How would you like me to kick your ass?"

"Funny." the man grinned. "Shame I'm gonna eat you!"

Kirito clicked his tongue in frustration. Just how was he supposed to get out of this one? This was not like the VR Games. This was real. And unlike the virtual world, defeat in this situation meant instant death. However, he knew that he couldn't give up here. If he did, what's to stop Bushido from going after Asuna, or all their other friends? No. He must stop him here and now. But how?

As these thoughts raced around his mind, he didn't notice that his feet had backed up into something, causing a soft clink to interrupt his thoughts. His eyes dropped down below him to see a metal pipe. It was approximately as long as a standard katana. One end of it was broken off, it to be a series of sharp points.

'I think I can use this...' the beater thought as he took hold of the pipe. Bushido laughed. "What? You think that will work against me?"

"I don't know...care to test my theory?" Kirito smirked as he hefted the metal object and rested it on his shoulder.

Bushido growled. He didn't like it when his prey toyed around with him. One would say he hates being teased, or taunted.

Kirito gave him the universal gesture: he lifted his hand, and brought his index finger back. "Come and get me!" he challenged as he turned around and headed deeper inside the construction zone.

"Hey! I thought you were going to stand and fight like a man! Not turn tail and flee like a coward!" The man growled as he spread his wings. He shot up from the ground and dived in chase of the beater, the blade in his hand at ready and thirsty for blood.

Kirito smirked. 'He took the bait!'

The raven haired teen continued to run through the steel and concrete maze, bags of gravel, powered cement, and bundles of girders lined up on his sides. He could hear the wind behind him shift from Bushido's movement. He was closing in.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Kirito didn't have to turn around to know that Bushido was pissed. After seeing the supplies next to him, an idea popped into his brain. Using the broken pipe in hand, he gave it a mighty swing and impacted with a bag of cement mix. The gray powder burst up from the tattered sack and clouded the air around him. He swung again and it the bag of gravel, causing the pebbles to spill out. He spun around and flung some of the rocks into the air behind him to slow Bushido's pursuit, even if it's for a second.

"Gah!" Bushido growled as gravel and dust were plucked into the holes of his mask, causing them to blind him for only a few seconds. Unfortunately, at that time, he fired off dark crystals from the wings, all of them slamming into Kirito's body, a majority impaling his stomach.

"H-hrk...!"

The raven haired teen stumbled as sharp pain wracked his body. He has felt pain before back in SAO and ALO, but none as severe as this. Blood spilled from his abdomen, staining the earth red. If it wasn't for the adrenaline in his body, he would've collapsed on the ground. But he stood upright, albeit barely.

"Damned..." Bushido growled as he tried to rub the gravel out of his eyes. "Pest...!"

Kirito panted, pain beginning to scream all over his body. His back fell against a metal beam, his body slowly slumping down to the ground. 'Dammit...' he thought as he watched Bushido try to regain his sense of sight. 'Is this... where I'm gonna...?'

The hands of death nearly had Kirito in their grasp. But an image flashed within his mind. It wasn't just Asuna, it was everyone that he had met and befriended during his years within the VRMMORPG World. Agil, Klein, Lisbeth, Silica, Recon, Leafa, Yuuki, Philia, Strea, Sinon, Yui, and Asuna. They were all waiting for him. There was no way he would just leave them like this!

'Get... up...'

It had been a mantra. A mantra that continued to chant in his head ever since he had nearly been defeated at the hands of Nobuyuki Sugou. When his mind was falling silent, the words made them speak up. When his body refused to move, the words would make them move. When his resolve faltered, the words would bring him back from the brink.

'Get... up...'

Strength was beginning to return to Kirito, his eyes half-lidded and marred by a blur. Bushido was starting to recover. There had to be a way he could get rid of this bastard. Unfortunately, this was not a game: this was life. If you die, it's game over... just like Sword Art Online.

'I have to... find a way to...'

Something then caught his gaze. To his left was his best chance at victory over this monstrosity. It was a construction crane that suspended a pile of concrete slabs and steel girders. It was possible that he could use them to crush Bushido given the right timing. He wasn't quite sure if it would work, but given his situation, what other choice did he have? Calling upon the reserves of strength he had left, Kirito made a mad dash to the massive building tool.

Bushido finally got rid of the blurriness in his eyes, and growled in absolute fury. "You're gonna pay, you little brat..."

Kirito was not running like he had before. His body was heavy, his eyes felt as if they were about to give out on him. How much blood had he lost at this point? A pint? Maybe two? He couldn't tell. He needed to get rid of this guy before he caused too much harm.

Finally, he reached the area he was after. However, just as he was about to reach it, he felt something stab into his leg, causing him to scream.

"It's so much easier just to hang back and hit pray from a distance, wouldn't you agree?' Bushido asked, almost mockingly.

Kirito faced down and saw the dark crystal lodged into right calf. It was in pretty deep, making contact with bone. It was a burning sensation, but Kirito made no effort to remove it. If he did, then he would most likely bleed out. The raven Haired teen tried to crawl away using his remaining, functional limbs. But he heard his assailant come closer.

"Trying to run even when your legs are just about useless? I gotta admit kid, you have tenacity. However..." Bushido removed his mask, revealing a young man in his early twenties, an appearance that seemed to have contradicted with his previous behavior. He had a handsome face and white, messy hair. However, his eyes were black with red irises, possessing a feral gleam. "It's time to end this hunt."

Despite the situation he found himself in, Kirito couldn't help but grin. "Yeah..." he said, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. "You're right..."

His hand grabbed the lever, and pulled.

"Except...I'm not the one who's the prey!"

"Wait, what?!" Bushido had no idea what his meal meant until the last moment. He looked up, but it was too late. From above, several tones of stone and metal were dropped from the construction crane lift, and buried the demonic swordsman alive. The steel girders stabbed into his body, without drawing blood, and the concrete just about flattened him.

Kirito couldn't help but admire the site, the man's body completely buried underneath the rubble, and the metal stabbing into his body like spikes. He let out a pained grunt as he pulled himself up, his injured leg dragging behind him as he moved back to the way he came.

He had to find Asuna. He had... to tell her he was okay. He... had to... tell her...

He... had... to...

Blackness overcame the Beater, and his body fell forward, slamming to the ground. His body was growing numb, and his mind, receding into sweet unconsciousness. He could hear shouts and screams of panic, muffled in the distance.

"Oh, shit! Someone, call an ambulance!"

"Is the kid gonna be okay?!"

"Fuck the hell happened to this guy?!"

"An accident?!"

"Dammit, just call 911!"

He didn't know what was going on. Maybe it was all just a dream...? If so...when was he going to wake up? He had to get to Asuna...tell her he was okay...

"Dammit, his internal organs have been ruptured!"

"His condition is going critical!"

"What the hell are we supposed to do?! Do we just let him die?!"

All he could see was darkness. It was all around him, wrapped like a blanket. His body felt suspended by a pair of strings, which felt more like cold and clammy hands. His eyes were shut, only adding to the eerieness of the scene.

"Everyone, prep up for a transfer!"

"W-what?! Doctor Kanou, what about the other-?!"

"He's already too far gone! We can at least save this young man!"

"And what about the next kin?!"

"Do you want him to die?!"

"N-no, but-!"

"Then quit your complaining! Get ready for an organ transplant!"

"But we still don't have consent from his guardians!"

"I'll be taking full responsibility for his operation. We must not let another life be lost!"

It felt as if he was underwater. He felt weightless, and suffocated. Around him, was only the darkness of shadows, flowing around him like liquid. He couldn't see. He couldn't hear. He couldn't feel. It was as if his senses were taken from him.

Slowly, he felt the weight beginning to lessen. His senses were slowly returning to him, and his eyes were slowly beginning to open. He felt his body ache and moan in agony, but his will continued to scream out in defiance. It felt as if someone was trying to reach him, but were repelled.

The darkness was beginning to unravel. What he saw as a bloody red curtain became a blue, crystalline drape.

Finally, his eyes opened.

His right eye had become black like coal, with a bloody red dot in the center.

_**"The act of taking away a precious life from a creature is nothing more than pure evil." -The Non-Killing Owl.**_

To Be Continued….


	2. Bloody Rebirth

**_Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride, the author of many BRILLIANT stories such as Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R-eset, Code Geass: Miraculous Birthday, Infinite Stratos: For Answer, Devil Survivor: Destiny Rewind, Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack, RWBY's Reaper, TOKYO GHOUL: Requiem for a Demon, Fractured Reality, Those that Defy Fate, Tokyo Ghoul DxD, Other Self Online, Code SURVIVOR, Tokyo Ghoul:reBIRTH, Lost Colors: A New Translation, and many, many more! _**

**_He is a good friend of mine, and I highly recommend all his stories!_**

**….From this point on….it gets pretty morbid. You have been Warned….**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 2: Bloody Rebirth**

When Kirito opened his eyes, he immediately like the world had collapsed on top of him. His body felt heavy, his arms and legs weighed down like something was keeping them that way, and his throat felt dry and sore. For a moment, he couldn't tell where he was. All he could see was a blurry mesh of white, and the muffled sounds of something beeping.

The beeping was eerily familiar, for some reason.

As time passed, his vision had begun to refocus, as well as his other senses. Immediately, he recognized where he was. The smell of disinfectant was unmistakeable. He slowly turned his head and saw the heart monitor. It was official.

He was in the hospital...again.

'How many times have I been here...?' he wondered before he felt his breath becoming hot against his face, a constricting yet not unpleasant feeling around the lower part of his face. He recognized it as an oxygen mask, with an IV connecting to his arm. For a moment, he wondered how he had even found himself here again.

How had he wound up in this situation?

For a while, it was a blank. However, as he dug his memories further, he finally recalled what had happened.

It was his and Asuna's anniversary since they became a couple in SAO. It was supposed to be a happy day, filled with laughs and giggles and enjoyment... until something appeared and-

Wait, how in the hell was he even alive?!

Shooting up quickly from his bed, the oxygen mask fell from his face, unable to latch on. Almost immediately, pain sank into his being, causing him to hiss in pain. "C-crap...!" he groaned as he fell back down. "I can... hardly..."

"Whoa, easy there!" A new voice rang in concern. Kirito slowly turned, to avoid the sharp pain, to see the speaker.

He was an aged man, approximately in his fifties with swept back silver hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a gray buttoned shirt, black slacks, and a white coat that would be seen on doctors.

"What..." the teen croaked out. "Who..."

"I wouldn't move about so quickly." the man, a doctor he presumed, told him. "You were just barely alive when they brought you here. The fact that you are even awake, and able to move, if only in pain, is something that astounds me." The doctor smiled. "I'm Akihiko Kanou. I was the one in charge of the operation."

"Oper...ation?" Kirito asked weakly.

Kanou nodded. "Yes. You have several ruptured organs. The only choice we had was a transplant. However, we didn't receive permission from your parents, or any next of kin."

"An emergency...surgery?" Kirito asked him, to make sure he heard right. Was his condition so severe that they went ahead without getting consent from his family?

"I'm afraid so." Kanou nodded solemnly. "If we had waited too long, you probably wouldn't have made it. I was not going to let another life be lost."

"...I...see..."

"Still, I have to admit, the last two days have been hectic for me." Kanou chuckled. "Imagine my surprise when I have to do two organ transplants, all in the same night."

"Two...?"

"Yes, you weren't the only person we found at the construction site. He was a bit far from where you were, but he got off a bit luckier. We had to transplant his kidney. Unfortunately, the young woman we found beneath the steal beams, as well as the man we found with you, couldn't be saved."

"Is that so...You managed to save two lives...in for the exchange of the other two...?" Kirito asked. After hearing that another person suffered a similar fate, the raven haired teen couldn't help but be disturbed. As if what happened to the other survivor was the same for him.

"Yes." the doctor nodded. "Although, I will say this at least. The fact that you and that young boy survived is a miracle, in and in itself." Kanou smiled as he stood up. "Well, I'll leave you to rest. Take care."

With that, the doctor had left the room, leaving Kirito to his thoughts. He turned to the right, looking out the window and up into the sky.

'There was another like me...who survived a strangely similar incident? And we were saved by that doctor? I'm not ungrateful to him for keeping us alive, but this seems...too convenient.'

Kirito looked at his hand, which was covered in bandages, along with a portion of his body. 'The donor... could it have been that Ghoul... the one called Bushido?'

His donor organs...came from a ghoul? If so...then what happens to him? He wasn't fully versed in biology, but he was pretty sure having ghoul organs transplanted into his body was anything but safe. He clenched him bandaged hand into a fist.

'If so...then why...? If he really was the one...who performed the operation...Why was that doctor smiling as if nothing were wrong...?!'

"Dammit!"

Without thinking, Kirito slammed his hand, which had balled into fist, into the steel bar beside him.

The bar was crushed beneath the weight.

"..." Kirito's eyes were wide in awe and horror. As far as he knew, no man possessed the strength to perform such a feat with ease. Shakily, he brought his hand before his face once more, examining it closer. Aside from the bandages, nothing looked or felt out of the ordinary.

He shut his eyes, as if to block out the truth. But he knew it would do no good. There was only one explanation for what had happened.

'I'm...'

He didn't want to hear the words. He tried to block it out, but what he had just done would serve as a haunting reminder. It might have been better if Kanou had just left him to die.

XXXXX

It took him only two days to recover. Kanou came by every day, checking up on him three times, come in the morning, afternoon, and at night. Kirito knew it wasn't his fault, but he felt a bit of animosity towards the man. He was responsible for what he had done, but Kanou was only trying to save his life. How could he have known who or what Bushido was?

Unfortunately, all he had done was sleep most of the time. Whenever food was brought to him, he would barely eat any of it. He tried to, of course, but afterwards, he felt sick. No matter what it was, it tasted all so foul. The tofu was like solidified vomit, the miso soup like motor oil, and the rice stuck to his mouth like paste, completely bland.

It was as if his whole sense of taste was warped and distorted. What was once edible and delectable, was now poisonous and nauseating. This thought terrified him down to the core. The image of Asuna flashed within his mind.

'No longer...will I be able to taste...her godly cooking...' A tear escaped from his eye.

That was a damn good shame. Her cooking was by far one of the best qualities about her. Anything she made tasted divine, and the best part was that the spicy foods she made were enough to leave him satisfied. He couldn't wait to have a taste of such divine cooking during their anniversary!

And yet... now...

A heavy sigh escaped from Kirito's face as he laid his head back down. 'I wonder if Kanou got a hold of my folks yet...' he wondered as he tried to go back to sleep. 'I don't want Sugu or Asuna to worry...'

XXXXXXXXXX

It had been on the fifth day that he ran into the other boy who was involved in an accident.

Kirito had to admit, the boy reminded him quite a bit about Silica, minus her affinity with animals. He was shy, but kind nonetheless, and also quite the bookworm. He would always find him in the main area of the hospital, delving into a book. They were mostly horror and suspense novels, judging from the morbid covers.

"Yo."

The boy pulled away from the pages to focus his attention on the new company. "H-hello." He greeted. He was a young man that was around the same age as Kirito. He had black hair in a bowl-cut fashion. His eyes, well, the visible one, was a cloudy gray while the other was covered by a medical patch. In his hands was a novel by the renowned author Sen Takatsuki, Egg of the Black Goat.

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Kazuto Kirigaya." Kazuto introduced himself.

"K-Kaneki." the boy answered. "Ken Kaneki."

Despite the shyness, the two actually hit it off rather well. Kaneki, while not usually speaking up in most cases, would talk for hours on end about characters in books and the themes surrounding them. Kirito had made a mistake when he asked what he liked about Egg of the Black Goat, because he had to listen to Kaneki for quite a while.

"Say, Kaneki?"

"Y-yeah?"

"You were involved in an accident, right?"

Kaneki nodded. "Yes... I was walking my..." he hesitated. "Friend... home... when something happened. As a result, she died in the accident. At least, that's what Doctor Kanou told me. He said she had died by the time they brought her in."

"Was she..."

"..." Kaneki stayed quiet, he understood what Kazuto was referring to, but was reluctant to revisit that memory. However, in order to give a response to his new companion, he nodded.

"...I see..." So It wasn't just Kirito that was attacked at the construction site. If that was the case, then that means...Kaneki had internal organs transplanted from that ghoul as well.

It didn't happen once, but twice. Kanou had performed the same procedure, both using ghouls as organ donors.

"W-why... do you ask?" kaneki asked slowly. "Did you know Rize-san?"

"No." Kirito shook his head. "But I ran into someone like her." His hands balled into fists, rage slowly rising. "That bastard was going to eat me and Asuna."

"Wh-what...?!" Kaneki shot up from his seat, but winced slightly from the sudden movement. He was still a tad sore from recovery. But his shock remained present. The same incident happened to his acquaintance as well.

"Yeah...That day...what was supposed to be an anniversary celebration with my girlfriend turned into a nightmare...!" He grit his teeth just from recalling that despairing memory.

Kaneki's eyes widened as Kirito began to explain everything from how it started. It hadn't taken either boys long to figure out what had happened to them. Kirito was still trying to find a way to rationalize himself, but a part of him had accepted it already, in his own way.

Kaneki had not.

"This..." the boy sobbed. "This just can't be happening... I mean, t-there's no way... right...?" A bitter laugh escaped Kaneki's throat. "How am I... supposed to face Hide again...?"

"Hide...?" Kirito raised an eyebrow. "...Is he your friend."

"...Yes..." Kaneki nodded. "My best friend. He has been with me for as long as I can remember. Ever since we were children, we have been inseparable. He has always been there for me, even when my mother died..." Even more tears were cascading down his cheeks.

Kirito couldn't help but feel a sort of conection with him. While he knew nothing about Kaneki's past, his own story was similar. He originally thought his family to be the people that cared about him, and he in turn. However, the day came when he learned that the people who raised him were his relatives. Eventually, he began to grow distant towards them... even his cousin, who he had come to think of as his own sister.

It hadn't been until Sword Art Online that had changed everything for him.

"Listen, Kaneki." the Beater's voice became firm. "I don't know for certain if this new... condition... is for real or not. Hell, could be from the transplant, who knows? For now, we just have to think positive."

"P-positive..." The eyepatch wearing teen wiped his eye.

"Yeah. I mean, we're still alive. We are able to see the people we cherish again." He reasoned.

"Alive..."

"Yes. If the emergency operations didn't happen, then we would most likely be dead. Then we wouldn't be able to see them again."

Kaneki's eyes widened at that. He had been so focused at this latest dilemma that he hadn't thought about that. He knew that Hide tried to see him every day, but he never really gave much thought. He was so terrified of what Hide would think, he felt ashamed of the thought of seeing his friend again, after everything that had been happening.

"You're right..." Kaneki nodded, the long forgotten feeling of happiness welling in his chest. However, it was then that he noticed something. "Eh? Who's that?"

Kirito frowned, looking over his shoulder to see someone glaring at him. He couldn't tell who they were, thanks to the bandages wrapped around his body, but he could feel the animosity from him.

Kirito stood up to get a better look, but he froze in his tracks. His face paled. His breath quickening. He recognized this feeling. It was fear. The fear of being prey. Something he experienced just within the past week.

However, his fears were confirmed when the bandaged being's eyes turned black, the irises a bloody red.

'Shit, there's a Ghoul here too?!' he thought in panic before scowling. 'Seriously, no matter where I go, it seems like trouble follows me everywhere! I'm starting to think Klein's theory of me being a trouble magnet is on the mark... But...'

Why was a Ghoul here in the hospital? He didn't know much about RC cells, but he sure as hell knew that the Ghoul would be discovered if the doctors would perform a check on his levels. In addition, if he killed anyone, the hospital would call in the CCG, and in turn, they would perform RC scans on everyone, patients and doctors and all.

If that happened...then who knows what would happen to him and Kaneki given their current situations.

'Just what the hell was going on?!' Suddenly, the Ghoul's eyes returned to normal. He gave the raven haired boys an extended glare before turning and hobbling away.

"K-Kirigaya-san?" kaneki whimpered when he noticed the man's glare. "D-do yo know him...?"

"No..." Kirito growled. "But I think what happened to us a few days ago just came back to haunt us."

Suffice to say, Kirito was going to have to keep an eye on that guy.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was the seventh day since Kirito had been in the hospital.

'I haven't seen that guy around since the lobby.' he thought as he turned the next page of the book Kaneki had given him. He wasn't the book reading type, but he had to admit, he was starting to see the appeal. Who knew killer robots could be so thrilling to read about? 'Whoever he is, he is definitely trouble.'

Still though, why did it seem like that ghoul was glaring at Kirito in particular? As if he held some deep grudge against him? The raven haired teen thought back, but couldn't find anything that had to do with ghouls before the incident. If so, then what was going on?

It was almost as if...he's setting Kirito up as his next target.

It was on the tip of his tongue. But he just can't seem to recall it. He laid down in his bed, his mind still preoccupied with these thoughts as the sun set over the horizon, leading day into night.

That murderous intent. That predatory glare. And that subtle grin from beneath the bandages. It all reminded Kirito of something, but from where?

"...!" As if struck by lightning, Kirito shot up from his mattress, realizing everything. Those habits, that lust for murder...it was now so obvious!

He recognized it all...from Laughing Coffin.

'Tch...' Kirito growled angrily, his fists clenched together tightly. 'One way or another, the past always comes back to haunt me.' He thought, recalling the events that transpired around the one known as Death Gun.

Death Gun. The man behind the string of murder incidents surrounding the game, Gun Gale Online. Formerly a member of the Laughing Coffin Guild from Sword Art Online, he took the killing game into an entirely new world. He would target players with his Death Pistol and shoot them. Once they were shot, his younger brother, an accomplice, would go in IRL and kill them with a needle full of succinylcholine, a drug that causes heart failure in overdose, creating the illusion that an in-game item had the power to kill in real life.

Truly, it was another disgusting act by an equally repulsive guild.

And now yet another member of the Game was here before him... in the form of a man eater.

'Who would've thought that guild had a ghoul amongst its ranks? Although, it's not really that surprising when you think about it.' Kirito mused. A Predator amongst a group of murderers. How ironic.

As he prepared to head to sleep, he suddenly felt his nose twitch upon a scent flowing into his nostrils. The moment his mind registered the foreign scent, he felt saliva beginning to flow in his mouth, and his body become tense. That smell... it was so aromatic... so flavorable... so... wonderful...

It smelled just like... food-

BLOOD

He smacked himself in the head. Of course, Ghouls devour humans. They are their sustenance as human food is inedible. He had to keep telling himself that. He was no longer human. He was one of them.

He wiped the saliva with his sleeve and stood up. Where was that smell coming from? Was someone transporting blood packs? Or was it...

Then, almost immediately, he felt his senses screaming at him.

In Sword Art Online, or rather, for anyone that dared to venture past the safe zone, and especially to those that had wanted to be free from this place, joining the fight for freedom, they had to hone their abilities. They had to adapt to the game's rules. They had to trust their instincts. They had to become stronger. They had to become faster. They had to become more resilient. Among those many thoughts and requirements, Kirito believed in instincts.

He had developed a sixth sense of sorts, which allowed him to sense danger before it stumbled upon him. It had proven useful many a times, from his battle with the Skull Reaper to Kayaba, to his encounters in the Hollow Area and his battle with Heathcliff in the grand finale, and lastly, his final bout with Sugou.

And right now, his instincts were screaming at him to move.

In a flash, he jumped out of bed and ran to the door of his room. Under normal circumstances, he would stop and open the door like a normal person. However, his senses were on full alert, evident of the danger in the air. He didn't have the time to open it the normal way, so he did something productive with his newly acquired strength.

He broke down the door with a single kick. As he stepped into the hallway, he was met with mixed feelings. The delicious aroma of fresh blood flooded his nostrils, causing him to drool buckets as his hunger grew with each passing second. However, if the sight before him could be summarized in one word, it would be a massacre. Dozens of corpses littered the corridor, many of them mutilated and bleeding, a majority of them already dead.

In the center of it all... was the bandaged Ghoul from before. "You took your time..." the man said, his voice deep and hoarse. His body was splattered with blood, and his eyes were black and red. "I've been waiting..."

Kirito felt rage engulf him. No, rage was too light a word. There was nothing that describe this feeling. "What the hell did you do?!" he screamed out in rage.

"Isn't it obvious?" the man chuckled. "I had a meal... though it was more or less just a light one. After all, you're my prize." A second later, the man was in front of Kirito.

And he delivered the hardest strike Kirito had ever felt.

"Oof!" The force of the kick sent the raven haired boy flying down the hallway, only to be stopped by being smacked into the far wall. He was winded from the consecutive impact and fell flat on his face. He tried to pull himself up, but the Ghoul was already on top of him and grabbed him by his hair.

He lifted Kirito up so that he was face-level.

"Ah, so it is you..." the Ghoul breathed, now getting a better look at Kirito. "It's been a while... Kirito."

Kirito glared at the man, yet for some reason, he felt something in his mind starting to click. That voice... where had he heard it? It sounded familiar... as if he had heard it before.

"Get... OFF!" The teen shouted, his right eye becoming red with black surrounding it. Both of his legs slammed into the man's chest, throwing him off. He looked surprise, evident by the raised eyebrows, but then amusement flickered in them. Kirito felt his teeth gnash together as he braced himself for a fight. If the power behind the strike and how fast the man moved meant anything, then he was on a whole other level than Bushido.

"Well, that's a surprise..." the man said. "To think you're a One-Eyed Ghoul..."

"A One-Eyed...Ghoul...?" Kirito repeated. So that's what he has become? Wait, did that mean there were others like him? There were many mysteries popping into his head. But one question above all others was priority. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Aw...I'm hurt that you honestly had forgotten about me. Then again, it's probably just the bandages." The Ghoul said in mock hurt as he begun to unwrap his head. The medical tape fell to the ground, revealing his face to be...

Kirito's eyes widened. "Y-you...?!"

The man's grin became known to him as he spread his arms out. Immediately, two tendril like appendages formed. They were colored dark green with steel edges and pinions, blades sticking out at the very tips.

"Now then..." the face of PoH grinned with glee. "It's Show Time!"

"Dammit!" Kirito grit his teeth in absolute fury. Before him was the man who caused so much suffering within the world of SAO, and indirectly, to other game worlds like GGO. Before him was a murderer who took pleasure in killing. Before him was the leader of the Guild, Laughing Coffin. Before him was a man he hated to the core, almost as much as he hated Sugou Noboyuki. "How the hell did they ever let a bastard like you into a hospital?!"

"You'd be surprised!" PoH retorted. "Now, let's get to killing!"

In that moment, everything went to hell. Kirito was forced on the evasive, leaping back and rolling around to avoid being impaled. Whenever he saw a gap in PoH's attacks, he wouldn't waste time exploiting them.

He leaped over one of the tendrils, bouncing off the wall, and slammed his leg into PoH's body. Unfortunately, however, the man was only slightly flung back, his feet grazing against the ground.

He stood up straight, and brushed some dirt off his clothes. "...Pathetic. I honestly would've thought the Black Swordsman had more power than that." PoH frowned, believing this would be a boring kill.

Kirito growled in frustration, but knew he was right. He hasn't eaten in days. His strength was weakened. He needed nourishment. He needed to satisfy this hunger. He needed to beat him. He wasn't going to die here! His eyes then drifted to the bloody mound of corpses beside him.

'I don't know much about Ghouls...' he thought as he tried to stop himself. The idea was so horrible, so agonizing that he would have rather preferred it if PoH killed him here and now. 'But... With the way I am now...'

"Where are you looking?" PoH's voice snapped out of his thoughts, and forced him back. He leaped away, avoiding being impaled, if only barely. "Come now, don't be shy, Kirito..." the leader of Laughing Coffin grinned. "Give it your best shot."

'Those tentacles are getting annoying.' he thought as he looked around. 'I've got to find a way to limit his mobility... But where...?'

His mind was racing. Just how was supposed to slowly down a ghoul with that speed? However, he still recalled a ghoul that was faster. His kind trained back to his fight with Bushido.

He recalled the wings the Ghoul possessed, and how they shot out dark crystal projectiles like bullets. He felt how much power each shot had first hand. One nearly took off his leg.

'Power... I need... Power...!'

As if beckoned by his desire, by the will to win, Kirito felt his back flaring in absolute agony, a scream nearly tearing out of his throat, and his back arched.

The pain lasted only for a second as the same black wings emerged from his back in their full splendor. PoH whistled, clapping his hands. "There you go, that's the way. A little desperation, and you can do anything." A grin formed later. "Now then... where we were?"

Kirito's response as a glare, and a barrage of crystals.

"Ho...! Such beautiful rage!" The Guild Leader clapped as he swatted the projectiles away with his bladed appendages. However, Kirito did not let up his assault as he fired even more shards as PoH moved to deflect the first barrage. A few crystals lodged themselves into the green, non-bladed areas of the limbs, causing the man to cringe in pain.

'Looks like I can do some damage!' Kirito thought as he dashed forward with an incredible burst of speed. For a moment, it felt as if he were reliving a moment in Sword Art Online. Quickly, he brought up one of the wings, and it spiraled around his arm, forming into a hazy blade. PoH saw his being, and tried to strike him, sending the tendrils his way.

The wings crystallized, and the bladed wing stopped their progress. Quickly, the non-blade formed wing returned to its mist like form, and fired off more crystals.

This time, PoH had nothing to defend himself with.

The man didn't even have time to react as his body was skewered over and over again by the dark red shards. Blood spilled from his numerous wounds, many of them fatal. As he was in such agony, he took the time to look into his opponent's face. Even now, he couldn't help but smirk, as he was proud of what he had accomplished.

The expression on the raven haired teens face was marred with fury and murderous intent.

"You're gonna pay for ruining so many lives, PoH!" Kirito swore, anger rising with each passing second. "Tell me, is all of this really worth it?! What was it worth?! Huh?!"

"That's just the thing, Black Swordsman..." PoH smiled. "There was nothing really worthwhile... all save for pleasure. Sure, you can understand the feeling, since we're the same, you and I."

The anger. It wouldn't stop. "We are NOTHING alike!" Kirito howled, shooting off more crystals. The leader of Laughing Coffin jumped back, the shards piercing the bloody ground.

"Really? And what about all of those kids you killed, hm? What was their little guild called? Something with a cat..."

Kirito's eyes widened in horror, dread creeping up on him. "H-how do you..."

The madness in the man's grin was only furthering increasing his fears. "A little rumor I heard about a birdy. You coudln't believe how hard I was laughing. Quite a piece of work, betraying them like that."

"N-no! That wasn't what-!"

"You didn't tell them~" PoH mocked him, waving his finger around. "You chose to keep your level a secret from them, and then you watched 'em get slaughtered. Face facts, Kirito... We're alike. We're monsters." The burning of the black eyes served as a haunting reminder. "In more ways than one, as of lately..."

"...Shut up..." He breathed heavily.

"It was your fault that they died. All because you couldn't be honest." PoH was taking his time, slowly driving the boy to despair.

"...Shut up...!" No matter how many times he wanted to forget, after finally coming to terms with it from Sachi's message, the pain was still as strong as ever.

"You couldn't do anything. No...you didn't do anything. You merely let them perish..."

"Sh-shut up...!" No, Kirito refused to forget such a thing. It was due to that event that he realized the fragility of lives, and how people tend to take the things they have for granted, not realizing their true worth until it was too late. He wanted to stop it from happening. To stop the pain from returning.

"Tell me..." The man continued to grin. "...How was their expressions of horror right at their moment of their demise? And I know for a fact that guild leader of theirs didn't handle any of it well..."

SNAP!

Something within the boy just...broke. He slowly raised his gaze to the smirking man. Rage and hatred were too weak of words to describe his current feeling. He wanted him dead. He wanted him to suffer...

At that point, Kirito's eye turned black as coal. A third appendage erupted from, his back, wrapping around his arm and fully extending into a demonic blade.

HE WANTED TO KILL HIM!

"POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!"

Faster than what the man thought possible, PoH suddenly found himself flung out from the hallway and out into the lobby. The hallway became cracked, the corpses flung, and blood sprayed everywhere. Kirito's eyes were wide with absolute fury, the blade gleaming in the moonlight.

'A Koukaku?!' the Ghoul thought in shock. 'But that is impossible! He shouldn't have two Kagune!'

Kirito did not stop as he shot out even more crystals from his extended wings. He kept pace to the speeding projectiles.

"Even so, that is still not enough to take me down!" The Laughing Coffin Leader scoffed in annoyance as he swatted them away. However, upon doing so, he lost sight of the enemy as his own Kagune blocked his sight for a second.

It was within that second that Kirito shot forward and brought down his Koukaku blade, severing the bladed Limbs from PoH's body.

"Khe...!" PoH growled before he suddenly found himself trying to avoid Kirito's strikes. They were fast, quickly, and aimed directly for his vitals. A large grin formed on his face. Yes, this was how it should be! A battle of dominance! A battle to see who is strongest! To see who deserves to live and who deserves to die! That was how it was in Laughing Coffin: Survival Of The Fittest!

"You would have fit in with us, Black Swordsman!" PoH cackled as he ducked underneath an overhead strike and delivered an uppercut to Kirito's chin. The teen staggered, but recovered and shot several crystals at PoH.

The man leaped back, the projectiles missing their mark. "I'll kill you!" Kirito growled, his body still consumed in absolute fury.

PoH reveled in such emotions. "Yes, that's the way! Haha, splendid!"

"Shut the fuck up you motherfucking son of a bitch!" His rage was unbound. His moves, while wild, were surprisingly still in control. Normally, when one strikes in anger, their movements grow sloppy and predictable. But Kirito was using his anger to his advantage, using the wild firing of his crystals as a distraction while he closed in to deal a fatal blow with his blade.

"Yes, yes...YES! Give in to your rage! Your basic instinct! Your desire for murder!"

Kirito was doing just that. Every strike tore the ground apart. Every crystal destroyed a portion of the ground or the walls. Every step he took made the floor crack. His fury was on par with even that of the God Asura.

PoH jumped over a swing of the blade, his Kagune finally regenerating. The tendril shot forward, but was met with a crystallized wing. Kirito used the moment to thrust his blade forward, impaling the man through the shoulder. Blood splattered over his face, and some of it landed in his mouth.

It tasted revolting.

It was like the taste of a fish left out to rot.

However...it was edible. Without thinking, he swallowed the crimson droplet. Unlike the normal food that was served to him, he could actually hold it down. Still, it tasted repulsive, but an improvement over what he was given to eat before. The blood actually satiated a tiny portion of his hunger.

He wanted to eat more.

He was starving.

And before him was a meal.

"HERE!" PoH shouted as he rammed his heel into Kirito's chin, forcing the blade to be removed, and his body thrown back. Kirito immediately regained his balance, landing on his feet effortlessly.

Hunger...

For some reason, PoH was confused as he watched the infamous Black Swordsman's body seemed to be slightly quelled of anger, but not nearly enough. He could still feel Kirito's killing intent, clear and sharp and overwhelming as it had been since PoH made himself known to the boy. Now, however, he felt something else alongside the child.

Hunger...

Kirito's hand trembled, and his legs tensed. The wings shivered before they crystallized, a signal that he was about to move. PoH smirked, readying himself for the attack.

Hunger...

"So..."

PoH's eyes widened when Kirito launched himself at him, this time even faster than before. Now, there was a new emotion alongside the anger and rage and fury. It was a look of despair and depravity, the look of one suffering.

The look of someone starving.

The ghoul brought up his Kagune, but it had been easily severed. The wings stabbed themselves into his shoulders, causing the man to gasp in in pain. However, the pain did not end. It only grew when Kirito jammed the Koukaku into his stomach, forcing blood to gush out.

The next thing PoH knew, Kirito's teeth clamped down on his neck, and began tearing out his flesh.

"Gragghh!" The man cried out in pain as a large chunk of flesh was ripped from his body. His neck was spewing out copious amounts of blood, the muscle tissue was torn apart. A small part of the collarbone was also exposed. PoH had dealt with more murders than any other member of Laughing Coffin, witnessed more gruesome deaths than the human mind could take, and preyed on so many humans that the number he consumed would equal that of a populated village. But this...this was entirely new. Never before...had he been the prey of another.

Kirito on the other hand, continued to chew the bloody meat before swallowing. His crazed persona did not break. He bent down again, clamped his teeth on PoH's temple, and tore away.

He forced the man down to the ground, blood and flesh splattering everywhere. The wings kept PoH pinned to the ground, and the blade still keeping him from doing anything. "H-hungry...!"

"Khe..." PoH gargled on his own blood, a weak smile forming on his face. "He...hehehe... Now... you finally get it..." he uttered, though Kirito was unable to hear his words. "In this world... the weak... perish... and the strong... survive..."

A sickening squelch of blood spewed around Kirito's mouth.

"I told you..." PoH gave the boy a sickening grin when he pulled back, swallowing the massive amount of flesh he had already torn apart. "We're... the same...!"

A fist came crashing down on the man's face, caving it in and silencing him. The impact broke apart the ground beneath them into a crater. Gray brain tissue, crimson blood, and ivory, skull fragments splattered all around him.

PoH was finally dead.

Kirito lifted his hand, still covered in said mix of substances, to his mouth and licked it off.

He didn't stop. He couldn't stop. His hunger was to great. He continued feasting on the corpse. As soon as he was done with the upper torso, he transitioned over to his kagune, taking the shimmering green appendage between his teeth and tearing flesh off.

Kirito stopped when he noticed something, something along PoH's arm.

It was the Laughing Coffin crest.

'We're... the same...!'

The words broke Kirito from his hunger. His rage had vanished from when he killed PoH at long last, but the hunger had lingered. Now, however... it had been satiated. At least, for a while. How long he would become hungry, he didn't know, but he was glad.

The site of PoH's corpse, however, had made his Kagune disperse into red mist, and his blackened eye revert back to it's usual state.

Kirito grasped his mouth, horror, disgust, and fear washing over him.

Dear God... what had he done? He was... he was...!

"AAAAH!"

Kirito's eyes widened when he heard someone scream. He didn't tear turn his head around. He didn't want to. "G-Ghoul! Someone, call the CCG!"

He wasn't an idiot. He knew what he had to do. Kirito ran, he didn't stop. He baralled his way through the doors of the hospital, running out into the world, and he didn't dare look back.

PoH's words kept ringing in his head.

We're the same.

We're the same.

We're the same.

We're the same.

We're the same.

We're the same.

We're the same.

We're the same.

We're the same.

We're the same.

Kirito ducked into an alleyway, and began to leap upwards, bouncing off of the walls, a feet that would normally be impossible for humans. Once his body touched the rooftop, his bare foot, which was marred in blood, slipped in the liquid and he fell face first. He hadn't felt any pain, but he did feel like crap.

He didn't move. His body didn't want to move. His arms laid on the ground, and his legs sprawled out.

Then the tears started to fall from his face. Choked sobs tore out from his throat, barely audible.

'He's...' Kirito thought, his hands going to his ears, trying to block out PoH's voice, which was growing louder. 'N-no, you're wrong...! I... I'm not...!'

We're the same!

'No...!'

We're the same!

'Make it stop...!'

We're the same!

'Shut up!'

We;re the same!

'I'm not a monster...! I'm not...!'

We're the same!

"Someone..." Kirito whispered through heavy tears, his bangs shadowing over his face. His knees came to his chest. "Anyone... Please..."

"My word... are you alright, young man?"

Kirito lifted his head up, the tears ceasing for a moment as he looked up.

Standing over him was an old man with gray hair, dressed in a waiter's attire, a gray jacket with a red bowtie around the neck, a white buttoned shirt, and black slacks. His face was old and wrinkled, yet wisdom beyond their ears could be seen within the crinkled eyes.

Once the man saw the blood on the teen's body, as well as the blackened eye, his face softened. "You are..."

"Please..." Kirito begged. "Help me... I'm not..."

'I'm not a monster.'

**"I'm not the protagonist of a novel or anything…I'm a college student who likes to read, like you could find anywhere. But… if, for argument's sake, you were to write a story with me in the lead role, it would certainly be… a tragedy." -Ken Kaneki**

To Be Continued…


	3. Revelations

_**Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride, the author of many BRILLIANT stories such as Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R-eset, Code Geass: Miraculous Birthday, Infinite Stratos: For Answer, Devil Survivor: Destiny Rewind, Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack, RWBY's Reaper, TOKYO GHOUL: Requiem for a Demon, Fractured Reality, Those that Defy Fate, Tokyo Ghoul DxD, Other Self Online, Code SURVIVOR, Tokyo Ghoul:reBIRTH, Lost Colors: A New Translation, and many, many more! **_

_**He is a good friend of mine, and I highly recommend all his stories!**_

_**Like, Follow, Favorite, Review, and tell us what you guys think! Thank you to Everyone who continues to support this story.**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 3 Revelations**

When Yoshimura returned to the shop, he was not alone.

Immediately, Touka could tell that the kid he brought with him was probably going to be trouble. He looked slightly older than her, maybe 18 or 19, along with black hair and darkened eyes. Strangely, he was dressed in medical scrubs, but there was one thing that told her what she needed to know.

The blood that was splattered all over him, mostly at his hands and face. The liquid around his mouth was mostly wiped off, but there was still quite a bit of it. The boy's eyes were heavy, almost lifeless even.

His mouth was open as well, but no sound came out. His lips were cracked from lack of moisture. His skin was slightly pale and was shaking, most likely from low body temperature due to being drenched by rainwater.

All in all, he looked dead to the world.

"Ah, Touka-chan..." the manager said. "Could you run upstairs and grab some spare clothes?"

Confused, she nodded, giving the boy one last glance before running up the stairs and to her room up on the second floor of the building. Meanwhile, Yoshimura showed the boy to the counter. At first, he made no movement, but after a while, complied, and took a seat.

"I'll make us some coffee." Yoshimura said as he moved behind the counter, grabbing the necessary items. "How do you like it?"

"...Black's fine..." The boy murmured, barely caring about anything. Usually, he would drink his coffee with some cream and sugar, but he felt like having something bitter, to at least ease the inner turmoil by taking his mind off it.

The elderly man nodded as he got to work.

Yoshimura worked in silence, and the boy remained quiet. He could only stare at his hands, which had yet to be rid of blood.

Kazuto Kirigaya could only wonder how his life could have gotten so wrong, so... horrible... in so short a time.

"I've got the clothes you wanted." Touka's voice came alongside her footsteps as she came down the stairs, holding some clothes. "Koma-san left some spares." she informed the elderly man as she placed them on the counter beside the boy. "They're work clothes, so you'll have to make do."

"...Thanks."

Touka turned to Yoshimura. "Who's he?"

The elderly Ghoul cracked a slight smile. "Ah, this is Kirigaya-kun. He will be staying with us for a while."

"Eh? What do you mean 'Staying with us?' We don't even know who he is!" Touka argued. "For all we know, he could just bring us trouble."

"Touka-chan...He is one of us." The man answered without turning. Kirito's body tensed. One of them? Then that means they're...

Touka's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, I could tell with the blood all over him, but what the hell does that matter? Manager," Kirito couldn't help but shiver when he heard the icy tone that made itself known in her voice. "What if he attracts Doves?"

"Touka-chan, you know our policy." Yoshimura told her sternly. "We help any Ghoul in trouble, regardless if circumstances." The elderly man turned to Kirito, placing the cup of coffee down on the counter in front of the boy. "Here you go."

Kirito nodded wordlessly, and gently took the cup in his hands. He could feel the warmth slowly pressing into his skin, and the fresh aroma floating into his nostrils. Slowly, he pressed the cup against his lips, and allowed the dark liquid to flow into his mouth.

His eyes widened a second later. The cup removed itself from him, and was placed back down on the plate. "...It's... good..." Kirito whispered as tears began to fall from his face. "Hah... Man, what a joke... I can't even taste Asuna's cooking, but I can still taste coffee...?"

"Wait, what do you mean 'anymore'? How do you know the taste of human food? Weren't you a ghoul in the first place?" The girl interrogated. He was able to taste normal food before, but now he can't? How the hell does that work.

Kirito slowly turned to her, barely perturbed by her glare. "...Would you believe that I was once human?" He never expected them to believe his words. I mean, who ever heard of a human turned into a ghoul? It's impossible, right?

Touka's eyes widened, about to make a retort when Yoshimura held up a hand to stop her. "Kirigaya-san is speaking the truth, Touka-chan." he informed her. "And he was not the only one."

"But... that isn't..."

"It is, Touka-chan." Yoshimura shook his head sadly. "The reality for a human to becoming a Ghoul is possible."

"So then..." Kirito said slowly, eyeing the two. "You people... really are Ghouls..." A bitter expression flashed over his face. "Just like PoH and Bushido."

Touka's eyes widened at the mention of the latter. "Wait... you ran into HIM?"

Kirito was surprised by her sudden reaction, but slowly nodded. "...Yeah...He attacked me and my girlfriend when we were on our anniversary date..." The memory was still fresh in his mind. What was supposed to be a joyful occasion transitioned into a despairing nightmare. His hands balled into tight fists. The rage never left him.

"How the hell did you even get out of it alive?" She knew Bushido's tactics well, and his prey never escaped him. Never. They were all sliced to pieces before they could react, the ones he didn't want to play with anyway.

"I crushed him with steel girders and concrete." Kirito responded, earning a shocked look from Touka. Yoshimura, on the other hand, looked thoughtful, a hand at his chin.

"Hm, I see... I heard that in one of the accidents at the construction site, a victim was crushed in a manner similar to Kamishiro-san." the elderly Ghoul muttered to himself. "You must have suffered a great deal, Kirigaya-kun. I know my words mean little to you, but I can assure you, we of Anteiku prefer a more... peaceful... approach."

"Oh yeah?" a bitter laugh escaped Kirito's mouth, a sardonic smile on his face. "And what makes you different from those bastards, if you don't mind me asking? Bushido is one thing, but PoH made all Ghouls look like sadistic bastards who enjoy killing."

He was mad. He had every right to be. It was because of ghouls that he was now one. It was because of Ghouls that he became a monster. It was because of Ghouls that he was forever alone, unable to return to his friends, family, and loved one.

"...Truth be told, there are those in Anteiku who were no different in the past." Yoshimura told him, surprising the raven haired teen that he made no attempt at refutation.

"W-wha..."

"I will admit, in the past, I had done many an atrocious thing, Kirigaya-kun." the elderly man spoke with a soft tone, his hands slipping behind his back, and his eyes opening to reveal black and red. "The same could be said for our co-workers, Koma-kun and Irimi-chan. Touka-chan here is a bit hot-tempered, and a bit brash..."

"M-manager..." Touka stuttered, feeling embarrassed upon being told about, especially in her presence. It also did not help matters with how he was describing her in front of someone she didn't know.

"But she has a good heart." At that, the old man smiled. "The choice of whether or not you wish to trust us is purely up you, Kirigaya-kun. All we ask is that you give us a chance."

"..." Kirito remained quiet. A chance, huh? In the past week, he had suffered injuries and trauma at the hands of ghouls. He had lost everything. However, this man was the one who reached out and helped him during his breakdown. He was given a warm cup of coffee and a place to stay. He had no where else to go. He had nothing left to lose.

"...What are the rules?"

"The rules are that we do not hunt down humans for food. We only feed from the bodies of suicide victims and corpses. We are to assist any and all ghouls who are unable to hunt for themselves."

Kirito's eyes widened at that. He had never imagined that there would be someone like this among the communities of Ghouls, but here it was in front of him. It was clear from Yoshimura's standing that he didn't want to kill needlessly. He wanted to avoid killing people, and he wanted to help those that couldn't fend for themselves. Had he not known any better, Kirito could have mistaken the man for someone in Sword Art Online, having survived the aftermath.

People like him were rare.

"I see..." he nodded his head in understanding. "And... what do you do if... you meet other Ghouls, or those Investigators?"

Yoshimura's face fell slightly. "...We are not to engage in conflict with other ghouls unless necessary. The same is said for the CCG."

"Understood."

"No need to be formal, Kirigaya-kun." Yoshimura chuckled as he waved his hand reassuringly. "You can start working tomorrow. We have a guest room upstairs." The old Ghoul turned to Touka, who had been watching the exchange in silence. "Touka-chan, would you kindly show Kirigaya-kun to his room?"

"What?" the blue-haired girl squawked. "Why me?"

"Do you see anyone else here?" he asked, looking around. "Besides, it is closing time."

"...Tch, fine." the girl muttered before glaring at Kirito. "Oi, weirdo. Come on."

"Huh? Just how exactly am I a weirdo?" He retorted with a twitching eyebrow.

"Do I even need to spell it out? You actually ran around town soaked in blood and wearing a hospital gown. If it wasn't raining, you'd bet people would take notice and think you were from some mental hospital.

"Hey, not my fault!" Kirito defended. "I was in the hospital when I got attacked!"

"And you didn't even think to get rid of the blood?" Touka snorted. "How big of an idiot are you?"

And cue the tick mark.

"If I'm an idiot, then that makes you the bigger one!" the famed Black Swordsman growled. "Besides, I bet you can't even fight worth a damn!"

That comment had quickly earned a shot of anger from the woman, her eyes flashing dangerously. "What the hell did you just say?!"

"You heard me!"

Yoshimura sighed, shaking his head. "Now now, children."

However, the two teens ignored him as they were focused on their argument.

"You wanna go at it right now Kuro-baka?!" Touka was growing antsy for a fight.

"Kuro-baka?! Oh, it is on!"

Again, the old Ghoul sighed, this time a hand touching his forehead. "This will be a very long night..."

XXXXX

Koutarou Amon had never felt so disgusted in all of his life. Truly, the scene before him was a sickening reminder of his past, of the day when he returned home to the church to see his supposed father figure standing over the corpse of his friend, all chopped up and ready to be eaten.

"Well, I must say," Kureo Mado said with a demented grin as always, a gloved hand rubbing his chin. "I have seen many of Ghouls' handiwork, but this is without a doubt the most morbid I've seen since the Owl case."

"...I agree, Mado-san." The investigator nodded. What the scene before them could be described is nothing short of a bloodbath. The rotting corpses of what were once patients and hospital workers were littered across the floor. Excessive amounts of blood were splattered on the walls, now drying and crumbling. Even now, the pool of blood that flooded the floor was still in the process of drying due to the layer being so thick.

"There was nothing found on the security tapes, unfortunately." Amon stated. "It appears that the Ghoul who acted as a doctor or a patient slaughtered the guards first before striking."

"I see..." Kureo hummed. "And judging from the state of the hallway, I'm willing to guess that there was more than one."

"A collaboration?"

"Unlikely." Amon raised an eyebrow, looking at his partner/teacher. "It's more like a battle between them. Take a look..." the man gestured to the walls and floor. "The damage suggests that it was a two on one. The walls and floor have remnants of RC Cells originating from an Ukaku shard, and the slash marks originate from, without a doubt, a Koukaku and a Rinkaku."

"So, in other words..." Amon said. "We're looking at three Ghouls in total. But, why were they fighting in a hospital? Someone could have easily have discovered them, even with the security cameras rendered useless."

"Who knows, Amon-kun?" Kureo shrugged as he was still in thought. "Ghouls are predators by nature. They constantly seek out prey to satiate their hunger. Yet they are also cunning, being able to camouflage into human society quite well. There is a possibility that one entered this hospital as a visitor in order to feast, while the other two had the same idea."

"That is feasible..." the younger Investigator nodded. "Even still..."

"Excuse me, sirs..." The members of CCG turned to face a young nurse. "The other patients and doctors are getting nervous... When will the investigation be finished?"

"Hopefully soon. We apologize for the intrusion." Amon bowed to the nurse. Their investigation had begun an hour ago, and they still have barely any leads as to where to go next. There was barely any evidence that pointed to the specific culprits of the tragedy, but they were well on their way.

"I see..." the nurse nodded, her eyes lowering upon seeing the corpses. "I can hardly believe ghouls were capable of this..."

"That is just how they are." Amon told her, his face becoming serious.

"I am well aware of that..." the woman said sadly. "I feel rather sorry for them. I heard that they could only eat humans to survive, but... This is just..."

"That may be so..." Kureo interjected. "...But they view humans as nothing but livestock for them to feed upon. There have been too many casualties due to this species. They believe humans to be inferior to them..." The man broke out into a wide, almost psychotic, grin. "...But we always prove them wrong every time!"

The nurse's eyes widened, disturbed by the man's words as she took a step back. "Mado-san." Amon looked at his superior. "You're scaring the poor woman. I think it best if we leave."

"I suppose you're right." Mado nodded in agreement, bowing to the woman. "Thank you for your time."

With that, the two went on their way. However, Amon stopped when he noticed a group of people gathered in front. Normally, he wouldn't think nothing of it, a group of bystanders. However, he quickly notices that these weren't just onlookers, in fact, they all seemed to be friends.

"What's happened?" one of them asked. It was a young girl with long brown hair and almond eyes, dressed in a white jacket over a pink turtleneck. "Was there an incident?"

"Oh man..." the one of the sole males of the group said worriedly, scratching the back of his head. He wore a red bandanna around his head, and his scalp bore pink hair. "I hope Kirito wasn't caught up in the ruckus."

'Kirito?' Amon wondered briefly before looking at his superior. "Excuse me for a moment, Mado-san."

Mado raised an eyebrow, but nodded and left the man to his devices.

"Excuse me, you there." the Investigator called out to the group.

They all turned around to the caller, who they saw was a young man in his late twenties with short black hair, wearing a suit and trench coat, and carrying a metal briefcase.

"May we help you mister?" The long haired girl responded.

"Yes." Amon nodded, hoping to get some information that could lead to the answer he and his partner have been seeking. "I couldn't help but notice that one of you mentioned a name, Kirito, I believe. Is he a friend of yours?"

"Yeah." the man with the pink hair nodded. "Asuna and him ran into a Ghoul on their anniversary. We heard there was an accident, and well, since they were near a construction site, we thought he'd be here."

"I see..." Amon closed his eyes. So, she and the boy they were talking about had ran into a Ghoul, and as a result, the boy in question had been wounded. 'Is it possible that the Ghoul they encountered was the same one here?' he wondered before opening his eyes. "Can you give me a description of the Ghoul you encountered?" he took out his badge. "I'm a member of CCG. There was a Ghoul attack here, and the investigation is still ongoing. Any information you have could be useful."

At the sudden revelation, every member of the group was stunned silent.

"G-Ghoul Attack...?" The spiky haired man stammered. At this Hospital? Where Kirito was being held? Was he okay? Is he hurt?...Is he Alive?

"I'm afraid so." Amon nodded. "My partner and I were sent in to investigate. However, all we encountered were numerous victims."

"Any information you have could be beneficial to the investigation." Amon continued. "Do you recall any details about the Ghoul you met? Physical description? Abnormal behavior? Tendencies?"

W-Well..." Asuna tried to remember what had taken place that day, even though she wanted to forget it all. It had been a joyous occasion, but it was rended asunder by the appearance of said Ghoul. "From what I remember, it was a figure of about average height. He was wearing black clothing that consisted of a trench coat with a hood, jeans, and combat boots. When he spoke, his voice was masculine. He wore a black mask that resembled that of a Samurai's. He was completely stained in blood. In his right hand was a black blade that spirals around his bicep before reaching above his wrist. Is that good enough?" She asked once she told him all she could.

Amon just stood there. In his mind was a certain ghoul that matched that description perfectly.

'Bushido...' A scowl made its way to his face. 'He's an A-Rated Ghoul, and even more than that, he's known to be a Chimera-type. Records state he's a Koukaku and an Ukaku. That means Mado-san's theory might be on the ball, except for the part of multiple Ghouls. It was just two, one after the girl's boyfriend, and the other, a simple banquet.' Amon's fists clenched together tightly. 'Damn those Ghouls...'

"Thank you for your time." the young Investigator said, handing the girl a card. "If you learn anything else, don't hesitate to let us know more."

"Y-yes, sir." Asuna nodded.

"Well then, take care everyone." With a wave, Amon left the group to themselves. However, they only possessed more questions than answers.

"...Hey, you guys don't think..." Klein couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence.

No one dared to answer that question. Asuna's body trembled from the mere thought, Suguha and Silica were looking ready to pass out, and Lisbeth looked as if she were about to charge right in to see if Kirito was among the victims. Sinon and Philia looked vastly disturbed, but Agil was probably the one who looked the most calm, sans the look of disturb on his face.

'Kirito-kun...'

XXXXXXXXXX

Kaneki was having one hell of a week, that was for damn sure.

He had just been released from the hospital, where there had been a ghoul attack in the lobby. Many patients and staff members were killed while the culprit was yet to be found. He hasn't seen Kirito since the day before the incident, and that worried him.

They had only known each other for two days, hardly enough time for them to be friends, yet he couldn't help but feel grateful for having met him. They had been in the same situation and circumstances, and Kirito had brought him something, something that helped him look away from the darker things he had been forced to see.

He was alive, and despite his condition, he would see his friends. Also, now that he was a Ghoul, his strength was... better... though hardly enough to do anything mind boggling. He wasn't going to hurt anyone. No, he couldn't do that. His mother raised him by the principle that it is better to be the one receiving pain rather than being the one bringing pain to others.

Now, however, after leaving the hospital, it seemed like things were getting back to how they were when he woke up. He was so hungry, and nothing in his fridge could satiate his hunger. No matter what it was, be it ramen, milk, or even the delicious hamburgers from Steak Girl, everything tasted so... disgusting to him.

All except for coffee.

It was strange. He was never an avid fan of the drink, despite drinking it on occasion when he visited the coffee shop for some peace and quiet. But now, he had begun to appreciate the beverage, as it was the only thing that he could consume without regurgitating it.

But it still wasn't enough. Eventually, he had to find something to eat. But what?

Eventually, he sighed. He had just exited the grocery market not far from his apartment, carrying a bang of several cans of coffee. What was he to do? He knew this wouldn't be enough to curb the hunger, but what other option was there? It wasn't like he was a monster. There was no way he would go around killing humans. He wanted to continue living as a human, yet how could he do that? His mind was addled, and warped when the hunger got worse with each passing day.

'How am I supposed to keep this a secret from Hide, at this rate?' he wondered before he stopped, his nose twitching. 'Wait, what's that smell... It...'

Drool began to fall from the corner of Kaneki's lips.

'It...smells delicious...!' Without thinking, he dropped the grocery bag, the metal cans clanging upon impact, and ran forward, his movements led by his nostrils. 'It's like, hamburgers! Finally! Something I can eat!'

His thoughts of satisfying his hunger outweighed his rational thinking. Nevertheless, he kept running. He cleared through the desolate streets and twisted through the narrow alley ways.

His left eye had changed. The white sclera was overcome with a dark shade of black, and his hazy eye became bloody red. The veins around the cornea became black. Yet, Kaneki hadn't noticed the changed. God, he was starving... he couldn't wait to dig into whatever was making that delicious scent!

However, his body stopped dead when he found the source. Instantly, his sense of desperation to cease his hunger vanished... and was replaced with horror.

The source of the wonderful aroma was a corpse. And a Ghoul was feasting on said corpse.

'W-what...?'

His body was paralyzed in shock and terror. All this time, he had been chasing after a dead body, perceiving it to be a delicious meal! He was actually going to eat a corpse! A Human body!

Unable to take it, Kaneki fell on his knees, his hands clutching his head in disbelief and denial. How had it come to this?

Suddenly, the Ghoul feasting took notice.

"Who's there?!" the Ghoul asked, startled. He looked rather shabby, stubble along his chin, and his black hair unkempt and wild. His clothes were old and worn, suggesting that he had been living out on the streets. His eyes were the same as Kaneki's left eye. As soon as he saw the boy, however, the tension eased up, and his gaze softened. "Oh... You're a Ghoul too, huh?"

Kaneki didn't answer. He was still caught up in his own mortification.

"Sorry, but... I can't really give you much." the Ghoul said as he dug his hand into the corpse, pulling out a small portion. "This is my first meal in months... It's not much, but..." Slowly, smiling slightly, the Ghoul offered Kaneki a piece of his meal. "Here-"

"Boom."

A foot came crashing down on the back of the Ghouls' head, crushing it once it hit the pavement. The head broke apart, skull, brain, and blood splattered everywhere.

"Seriously..." The assailant sighed in frustration. "How many times do I have to tell you? These are my feeding grounds. Didn't I say I'd kill you if you trespassed?"

Kaneki slowly looked up, his face splattered with blood.

The assailant was a young man with light hair combed neatly, wearing a simple white shirt and black slacks, a pair of glasses sitting on his nose. His posture was slack and lazy, yet the way his leg was positioned clearly meant that you didn't want to be in the range of his kicks. Once he noticed the boy's presence, a clear face of annoyance passed through. "Oh, great another damned pest. Seriously, you're like cockroaches. Kill you, and another pops up. It gets fucking annoying after a while..."

The man walked up, and without warning, snaked his hand out towards the poor boy. His fingers grasped about his frail neck, lifting him up off the ground and slamming him to the wall. "W-wait...!" Kaneki wheezed. "I-I'm not...!"

"You're not... what?" the man drawled. "Not apart of this? Let me ask you this. Say you found your girlfriend, completely naked and beaten on the ground, and over her is a guy with his pants down. When you ask him what happened, he responds 'I found her like this'. I don't know about you... but I'd kill the bastard."

"B-but..!"

"Che... So annoying." he scowled before he noticed Kaneki's left eye. "Wait... why do you have one Kakugan?" he muttered, leaning closer and sniffing the boy. "And why do you smell weird? You smell... like Rize." His eyes narrowed, and his grip tightened. "And... you smell like... Kirigaya."

"W-wait, you know Kirigaya-san?" Kaneki choked out. Did this man really know the man he befriended in the hospital? If so, then maybe he can talk his way out of this.

The man's eyes widened slightly before they narrowed again. "Look, kid, I don't who you are, or why you know Kirigaya, but let's get one thing clear..."

The man's eyes changed. The whites were black, and the eyes turned red. "Kakugan", the man called them. "This is my territory... and you never walk in on another Ghoul's feeding grounds."

Just then, a bloody red crystal shot past his face, causing his hair to flap up. It slammed into the wall, right next to Kaneki, causing the boy to yelp.

"You're feeding grounds...?" a female voice scoffed. "Where the hell did you get that idea, Shitty Nishiki?"

"Tch, why the hell are you here..." Nishiki let go of Kaneki's neck, the boy coughing and gulping air on the ground. "...Shitty Touka?" He turned to the sound of the voice.

At the entrance to the alley, was w young girl, a bit younger than the two men, with short blue hair, wearing a light brown sweater and green shorts. Protruding from her back were black and red misty wings.

"I heard something going on while the manager sent me on an errand, and what do I find?" the girl called Touka said with a leer. "A four-eyed asshat picking on a brat."

"Back off. What's it to you? I was just going to teach this guy for messing around in my feeding grounds." he snapped.

"And who exactly made these your feeding grounds? Last I checked, they belonged to Rize."

Kaneki's eyes widened when he heard that name. Rize... the woman he had met at Anteiku. The woman he had fallen for. The woman he had gone out on a date with.

The woman who had tried to kill him... and the woman responsible for turning him into a Ghoul in the first place.

"Che..." Nishiki growled. "You're starting to piss me off... What? Just because you think you're that old man's little doggie means you can beat me?" A grin formed on his face. "If I went all out, you brat, then neither you or Renji could beat me."

A smirk formed on Touka's lips, her wings shimmering for a moment. "Oh? Is that so?" she asks, almost amused even. "Then let's test that."

Then she moved. Kaneki almost couldn't see it. She was a trail of blue, followed by a stream of red and black.

"What?!" Nishiki didn't have time to react as Touka drove her fist into his Solar plexus. The man coughed up a small amount of blood before pulling himself together. He brought his leg back for a round kick, but Touka dropped down and swept his feet out from under him.

The male Ghoul proved resilient as a new appendage emerged from his back, resembling a large bulky tail. It had a strange blue and red color to it, slamming down upon the ground and flipping the man back on his feet. "Bitch!" Nishiki howled, tossing his fist.

However, Touka proved to be faster, dodging the strike easily and jumping back from the sweep of the tail before dashing back and slamming her knee in his face, leaving behind a large bruise in his cheek. He recoiled, taking a few staggering steps before glaring and wrapping the tail around his leg, swinging it. The girl ducted beneath the attack.

The wall was smashed. Debris went flying, and cracks formed all over it. Kaneki couldn't help but watch the battle in complete awe. At first, he had been terrified by the prospect of fighting, but seeing a battle between two beings that knew only to kill... it brought forth a new feeling in him. A feeling of curiosity. Those appendages were different than the ones that Rize had, and they were different from her as well.

Even still... he couldn't help but look at the girl. The wings behind her back gave her the appearance of an angel of some kind. For a moment, she looked... beautiful, almost otherworldly.

"Dammit!" Nishiki scowled as he leaped back. Touka stood her ground, a hand on her hip, and the wings reducing in size. She had a condescending smirk on her face as if she had already won. "You're one annoying past, you shitty brat!"

"Tough talk from a guy who can't even land a single blow! Seriously, you're so slow it's pathetic!" Touka mocked. "You couldn't even beat Rize and take back this ground yourself; you had to wait until she died before you took control of them."

The man gritted his teeth and anger. "Shut the fuck up!"

Nishiki finally got tired and charged at her.

It was the worst mistake he could have made.

In but the blink of an eye, Touka dashed past him. It hadn't been until Kaneki finally saw her stop moving that several cuts emerged all over the male Ghoul's body. The young half-Ghoul couldn't believe his eyes. How had she done that much damage, in but a second?

"Geh...!" Nishiki hissed, clutching his arm. It looked the worst out of all of him, bearing more cuts. Blood was leaking profusely down his arm, staining his white shirt. "Forgot how fast Ukaku's are..."

"Get out." Touka told him simply. "And don't even think of coming back."

Nishiki said nothing. Instead, he just glared at the two and ran, leaving the alleyway. Once he was out of site, Touka sighed, the Kakugan vanishing, and the wings dispersing. "Ah, crap, I screwed up..." she groaned. "If the manager finds out about this, I'm gonna get chewed out..." She walked over to the corpse that the late Ghoul that Kaneki met earlier was feasting on, bending down and tearing out some of his organs. "Shouldn't leave a meal to spoil..." A sickening crunch echoed across the alleyway as she pulled out what looked like a lung, looking over at Kaneki. "Hey, you want one? You look like you're starving."

Kaneki hadn't noticed he was still drooling. His eyes were focused on the organ, about to reach out for it when he realized what he was doing, and grabbed his wrist. The action elicited a frown from the girl, but then noticed the state of his left eye. Her eyes narrowed. "Oh, great... another damned halfer."

"H-halfler...?" Kaneki stuttered. Suddenly something within his mind clicked. He recalled Kazuto being the same as him. If this girl knew another like him, then maybe...

"A-ano...Do you know anyone named Kazuto Kirigaya?" He asked her slowly, trying to refrain from provoking her.

"If you mean Kuro-baka, then yes." Touka scowled. "Let me guess, you two buds or something?" Kaneki nodded nervously. "Well, you don't look as aggravating... but you sure as hell look annoying."

"A-annoying...?" They boy's expression became downcast. Was he really like that? Kazuto didn't seem to think so.

"Anyway..." The girl voice, breaking him away from his thoughts. She held up the bloody organ to him. "You want some or not? You're going to go mad from hunger sooner or later. Best to eat now to save you the trouble."

Almost immediately, Kaneki recoiled at the site. Earlier, he had been induced by the hunger, from the prospect of finding something he could finally eat. Then he saw the man devouring someone, and his mind returned. Kazuto had told him that they had to look on the bright side, to see that they could finally be with their friends. Despite his predicament, Kaneki didn't want to live this new life. He did not want to live as a Ghoul. He wanted to continue having a normal life. He wanted to spend his time with Hide at school, do what they had always done and joke around, eat hamburgers, watch movies, and the usual, boring yet fun stuff they had always done in their lives.

However, when he thought about his friend, he remembered Kazuto saying something to him once.

"I don't know what will happen when we get hungry. Who knows what will happen? I know I want to look on the bright side, but... I don't want to imagine what will happen if we're with our friends and we get hungry."

He didn't want to imagine it either. But, a horrifying thought came to him as he imagined that same old scene, of him and Hide sitting at a table, with Kaneki reading a book, and the blonde joker messing around and talking about what interested him as his latest new trend follow.

If he got hungry... if he went mad from the hunger... would he...

"If I..." his voice was shaky, so fragile like the rest of him. "If I... don't eat... will I... eat... Hide...?"

"Let me put it to you this way, kid." Touka said, her face set in stone with a glare. "Starvation is like a living hell for us Ghouls... and it's the most maddening thing you will ever imagine."

"R-really...?" Kaneki was growing more worried by the minute. His anxiety was slowly being replaced by horror. He would be driven to insanity?

"You will lose all sense of rational thinking, reverting to be led solely by predatory instincts to satiate that hunger. In short, yes. You will be driven to eat any human by you." She then appeared in front of him and shoved the piece of flesh into his mouth. "So just eat it already!"

The poor boy was thrown back, her hand gripping at his mouth, and his body forced against the wall for the second time. The moment the flesh entered his mouth, Kaneki's body became unresponsive, his eyes shooting open wide like dinner plates.

The way the blood flowed into his mouth...

The soft tender flesh pressing against his tongue...

The sweet, delicious taste that fell into his taste buds...

It was like a euphoria had washed over him, a sweet taste of bliss that fell into his very being. With a loud gulp, the lung slowly fell down into his throat, the pleasant feeling of blood gliding down the walls as it hit his stomach.

Touka released her grip on the boy, allowing him to fall to the ground. A loud hack came out of his mouth, along with gasps of air. "Did you..." he wheezed. "Have to shove it... so hard...?"

"Oh stop whining and man up!" She scowled. "Seriously, aren't you supposed to be a guy? Grow some balls already, dammit!"

"S-sorry..." The boy squeaked, backing up a bit.

"God. Now I gotta take this guys with me too?" Touka rested her forehead in her palm. First Kazuto joined them at Anteiku, and most likely, this guy would too?

Kaneki could only sweat drop. He took back that earlier statement about her being like an angel. She was as ruthless as a demon. Weren't girls, regardless of nature, supposed to be gentle and not foul-mouthed and dangerous?! 'Then again, Rize-san was...' he thought, recalling her true nature.

"Oi, halfer." Kaneki became stiff when the girl addressed him. "Get up, we're going."

"G-going where?" he asked, slightly fearful as he stood up.

"To your new home... Anteiku."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Mnrgh..."

...

"Hrgh..."

...

"Grgh..."

...

"DAMMIT ALL!" Kirito growled as he stared at the coffee in front of him. "Why the hell can't I get the damn flavor right?! Every time I make it, it comes out so damn sloppy!"

Yoshimura couldn't help but chuckle, a hand at his chin. "Have a bit of patience, Kirigaya-kun. All it takes is a little practice."

"I know but...!" Kirito was frustrated. After tasting the nectar of the Gods that was Yoshimura's coffee, the young man had been trying desperately to try and match his skills. He didn't wish to trouble the elderly man by asking him to make a cup for him whenever he wished for a drink, so he decided to learn how to brew the beverage. However, despite his many attempts, he still lakcs the skill necessary to perfect the art like Yoshimura had.

Proven once again, that acquiring skills in reality was much more difficult then acquiring skills in game.

"Let me show you." the elderly Ghoul stated as he took his own brew, setting it before Kirito. "First, you place your beans of preference, then simply add the water. And after that, use the creamer to bring out the flavor. Be slow, careful, and make a swirl. It's rather simple, one you learn the steps."

Kirito nodded, jotting down notes as he watched the man work his magic. It had only been about a week since he arrived in Anteiku, and already, he was fitting in. Besides himself and Touka, who quickly grew to remind him of Sinon when he had first met her during the Hollow Area incident, there was Enji Koma, a burly man with a punk-style hairdo and a multi-colored tie, and Kaya Irimi, a kind woman who was responsible for showing him the ropes.

They acted nothing like the Ghouls Kirito had encountered, only proving that not all of them were the monsters the media had made them out to be.

It was...comforting. He was no longer alone in this hellish world. He had companions he could talk to. Friends to turn to. They all understood one another, as they shared similar pasts, where they made mistakes, but eventually overcame them.

He felt as if he were at home at Anteiku.

"Here."

Kirito's thoughts were snapped as the old man handed him his brewed cup. Taking it, he pressed the mug against his lips, allowing the delicious wonder flow into his mouth. "I have to ask, Yoshimura-san." Kirito said as he placed the cup down. "Where on earth did you learn to make such divine coffee?"

"I learned a thing or two when I first opened up Anteiku." Yoshimura chuckled. "Though it took me a long time to get it to where it tastes today. By the way, Touka-chan called me earlier. It seems she's found that other One-Eyed friend of yours... Kaneki-kun I believe his name was?"

"R-really?!" Kirito shot up from his seat. She found Kaneki? "How is he? Is he alright?" He was concerned for his friend. He was struggling to adjust to his new life as a Ghoul, and he thought the boy would be taking it much harder than he had.

"She has. And she is bringing him here right as we speak." The elderly man was glad that the boy before him was relieved.

"Whew...!" Kirito sighed in relief. "Oh man, I thought he was caught up in all of that chaos PoH made!"

"Pardon for asking, but who is this PoH character you mentioned?" Yoshimura asked curiously, having never heard of him before. He knew of Bushido, but he did not recall such a figure.

At the mention of the name, Kirito's face darkened, anger slowly building up.

"...If I'm going to tell you about PoH, I'd have to start at the beginning. Would you please take a seat? This will take a while." Kirito calmly requested the man, who noticed the smoldering anger in his eyes.

"Of course." Yoshimura took the seat across from him and the boy begun to tell his story.

"Here goes...are you aware of the Video game, SAO, or Sword Art Online?"

Yoshimura nodded. "I am aware of it, yes. It was recorded as a terrorist attack, and also the worst one since the events of 9/11 at the World Trade Center."

"PoH, which was an abbreviation for Prince of Hell, was a player in SAO." Kirito began, his fists clenchging together tightly. "He was the leader of a guild called Laughing Coffin. At first, they were just any regular guild, but they were strong. Maybe it was because of that fact that they turned into what they are now..."

Yoshimura's face hardened. "How do you mean?"

The look in the boy's eyes told him all he needed to know. "In Sword Art, there was an unstated rule to never let your Health Points reach zero, because if you died in the game, you would die in the real world. And as for PoH's guild... Laughing Coffin... it was a murder guild."

Yoshimura's eyes widened upon this revelation. A group of murderers? In a Death Game were people fought to survive? "...So they voluntarily took the lives of other players, despite the fact that many are fighting to free and save everyone?"

"Yes." Kirito nodded grimly. He had been disgusted with Laughing Coffin's acts. Even more so when one of their members, Kuradeel, led him and two other players into a trap and tried to kill them. It was thanks to Asuna that he survived and killed the LC member in retaliation to save her. "Originally, they were an ordinary guild. But the man, PoH, twisted them to become Player Killers."

Unbeknownst to Kirito, Yoshimura's hands curled into fists, a result of silent rage. To Yoshimura, the act of murder was the worst crime. To him, the action was the ultimate evil, an evil that could never be forgiven. It may have been true, that he himself had performed such evils in the past, but unlike most, he was aware of his crimes. He knew he could never atone for those sins... but those he found and saved could. They could lead a normal life.

To learn that there was a group of people who enjoyed this action... it angered him beyond comprehension.

"When SAO was finally cleared..." Kirito continued, after Yoshimura urged him to continue. "...The members of Laughing Coffin fell off the radar. Many of them went into hiding. Time passed, and the survivors of the death game had begun to recover. However, three hundred players had yet to awaken..." His expression hardened, recalling the event that nearly took Asuna away forever, all at the hands of the man he hated most.

"Ah, yes, I remember that." Yoshimura nodded. "That was the result of an employee of a company that took control after the software company that helped design SAO were dismantled. Nobuyuki, I believe his name was..." The old man's face hardened. "He purposely trapped the 300 players in order to make advancements towards a program where you could overwrite the brain signals."

"Yeah..." Kirito nodded. "I managed to expose him, but it was after a year that I learned that Laughing Coffin wasn't done."

"Are you referring to the...I believe it was called...The Death Gun Incident?" The elderly man inquired.

"I am. One of the members, who went by the name, XaXa, or Death Gun, in the game tried to create the illusion that an in-game item was capable of killing in real life." His expression remained tense, recalling the incident with Shinkawa Shoichi and his younger brother, Kyouji. "He would shoot players with his Death Pistol, and in reality, his younger brother, who was his accomplice in this string of murders, broke into the players' houses and injected an overdose of succinylcholine, causing them to die of heart failure."

'Once again, a testament to the evil that lurks in the hearts of men...' Yoshimura thought. 'These men are no better than Ghouls themselves...'

"I was able to XaXa, but I never learned about the other two." Kirito continued. "And it wasn't until after my run-in with Bushido that I found PoH..." His right eye burned with the Kakugan. "...as he was eating away at the patients in the hospital."

Yoshimura was once again surprised. "You mean this PoH is a..."

"Yeah..." Kirito sighed in confirmation. "...He was a Ghoul. He tried to eat me as well."

Yoshimura was stunned beyond belief. In the past, he had seen many Ghouls, and that had not changed. Some killed because they had to, others to survive. They devoured out of pleasure, or to stave off the hunger. Some were selfish, seeking vengeance against those that wronged them, or sought out victims that fit their preference.

Yet, PoH was different. He did not kill out of preference. He did not eat for pleasure.

He killed because he ENJOYED it. He murdered countless others, and he reveled in it.

"What became of him?" Yoshimura asked. Once the question was spoken, Kirito's eyes became lifeless as he stared down at his hands.

"I...I...I killed him...With my own hands...and ate him..." He forced out. There mere memory was enough to send him into a state of mental disarray. He could still hear the guild leader's last words:

'We're the same...'

"I didn't..." Kirito's frame shook, his hands trembling as a look of terror became known on his face. "I hadn't realized it until after I saw the mark on his arm... I felt so hungry... I felt like I was about to lose my mind..."

"Kirigaya-kun..." Yoshimura spoke softly. "What you had done... While I do not fully agree, I know that this PoH could not be reasoned with. Perhaps his death is a good thing. However, do remember this."

Kirito looked up at the old Ghoul, his eyes open, and his mouth in a thin line.

"The world is constantly attacking itself. Humans kill Ghouls, and Ghouls kill humans. It is a bitter cycle without end, and we only try to justify ourselves by saying that it is only right. However, that alone will not grant us the privilege to rob another of their lives. No matter the reason and no matter the circumstances... the act of taking the life a precious living creature is paramount to pure evil."

"Pure...Evil..." Kirito repeated the words. Yoshimura was not wrong. The concept of murder was nothing more than unnecessary bloodshed. No matter how much a person is hated or despised, their death would change nothing. It's simply an act of vengeance. The boy then remembered his own actions in the past. Here he had killed Kuradeel, some of the members of Laughing Coffin, and Kayaba Akihiko. He had nearly done the same to Sugou Noboyuki, but he stopped himself, believing that he would get his deserved punishment at the hands of the law. But still, he had come close to becoming even more of a murderer that night. He could still feel the blood that dripped from his neck.

"Yoshimura-san..." Kirito had to ask the man on his opinion on this.

"Yes?"

"Regarding the experiment that Sugou Noboyuki had done..." He tried his best to keep the venom out of the name. "...with the 300 players?"

"I... had nearly killed the man responsible." Yoshimura's eyes widened when he saw Kirito stare at his hands. "Sugou... he..." His hands clenched together tightly. "He...!" Venom began to rise higher.

Yoshimura already had an inkling feeling of what the boy had experienced. He knew the atrocities the man committed on the news, on how he tried to use his adoptive family's kindness to their advantage and try to marry a young girl by the name of Asuna. Kirito had mentioned that very same name, the girl whose cooking he would never be able to taste.

He had a good idea of what sort of rage had emerged in Kirito. He felt the same sort of rage when he had lost his dearly beloved to...

"Even still..." Yoshimura broke him from his thoughts, a small smile on the man's face. "For you to survive such ordeals is quite an achievement in and in itself. You had done what you did to survive, and also to protect those precious to you." A sly grin formed on his face. "For example, that young girl who's cooking you could never taste again... Is she your dearly beloved?"

The elderly man actually had the nerve to laugh when he saw Kirito's face turn several different shades of red. 'Damned Ghouls and their damned hearing...!' the beater thought, but in the end, he couldn't but feel relieved. Truly, if there was ever a person to reach out to whenever your thoughts were muddled, it was someone like Yoshimura. He was a lot like Agil, in that regard.

They also made mean drinks too.

_**"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." -Franklin D. Roosevelt**_

To Be Continued…..


	4. Gathering

_**Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride, the writer of many brilliant stories that I highly recommend.**_

_**If you choose not to…then you're missing out on many masterpieces. Your loss. **_

_**You rock, man! Thanks for the help in putting this, and many other stories together! Eternally Grateful!**_

_**The OC's, Takeshi Uhara, Shi, and Raijuu were all created by Demons Anarchy of Pride. **_

_**The Idea of Eto being in Anteiku instead of Aogiri was inspired by IForgotToUsername's Unraveled Bandages. **_

**_Like, Follow, Favorite, Review, and tell us what you guys think! Thank you to Everyone who continues to support this story._**

_**XXXXXXXXXX**_

"Stop right there, Phantom!"

The night was especially dark, specs of light being the only source of illumination from a bird's eye view. In this veil of shadows, a figure was running across the rooftop, his coat flapping and trailing from behind him before coming to a full stop, his feet coming to a halt. He was at the edge, looking over it and out in the distance before turning to his pursuers, both adorned in long trench coats with briefcases in their hands.

"Well, I have to hand it to ya..." the figure smiled playfully, clapping his hands. "You Investigators really don't give up, do you? By any chance, are you related to hunting dogs?"

"Shut it you damn ghoul!" The investigators opened their metal cases, revealing their Quinque weapons of various types. "We're taking you in!"

"Oh? Can you now..."

For a brief moment, a light shined down upon them, revealing the figure's form.

He appeared to be a young man, possessing a slim build, to the point of being lanky. He had messy black hair. His outfit consists of a black trench coat with a gray collared shirt, black trousers and boots, and a pair of red gloves. His mask is a white bird-shaped mask with a black design around the eyes.

"Hate to break it to ya..." the teen said, his playful smile never vanishing as a pair of misty-like black wings emerged from his back. "But when it comes to tag, ya can't catch me!"

He stuck out his tongue, and allowed his body to fall off the roof.

The investigators rushed to the edge of the building. They looked over, only to see nothing. "Damn it! He got away again!"

"This is the 24th time!" One of the investigators complained.

"Grgh..." The Investigator growled, putting a hand to his ear. "Sorry sir, he got away!"

"That is to be expected." the calm voice of his superior responded in kind. "Phantom has managed to evade the police and even the most skilled of detectives... return to HQ. We should expect his handiwork in the morning."

"Yes, sir." the man nodded, lowering his hand and sighing. "Ya know, even after all this crap, I still don't get it." he said. "I mean, what kind of Ghoul becomes a thief?!"

"Kinda makes you wonder what actually goes through their heads." His co-worker commented.

"Ain't that the truth! But anyway, let's just go. We'll get him next time..."

With that, they made their way to the exit. The sound of a door opening and shutting close echoed in the silent air.

After five seconds passed, the figure reappeared, his wings dispersing. "Man, talking about me behind my back..." the teen sighed as he removed his mask, revealing a pair of sharp, pale eyes. "Investigators... no tact at all!"

Sighing, he dug inside his pocket and pulled out what looked like a USP hard drive. He chuckled. "Man, that doctor is gonna be pissed when the world finds out what exactly he's been doing with the hospital's money...!"

He already knew what was going to happen. The corrupt doctor's actions would be discovered, his assets frozen, and his ass hauled off to prison. Oh how he enjoyed this hobby of his. It gave him the feeling of excitement and accomplishment that nothing else could even compare.

He pocketed the USP and left the area.

The next day, the news had only one headline that made everyone interested to watch:

THE PHANTOM STRIKES AGAIN!

**Chapter 4: Gathering**

Kaneki sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. "I still think I look ridiculous." he said.

Kirito clucked his tongue, shaking his head. "Oh, please." he said. "You look fine."

"Easy for you to say..." The boy complained to his friend. He was dressed in a normal waiter's outfit, complete with the white dress shirt, black vest, black slacks, and black bow tie. He was envious that Kirito was able to pull off such a look.

"You need more confidence in yourself. Seriously, you look fine." Kirito reassured.

"Are you sure?" the younger of the two asked, unsure. "I mean... I've never really wore a suit before."

"Relax, you'll have women swooning over you in no time." Kirito grinned. "Now, onward!"

With that, they entered the cafe. Suffice to say, it was packed with several guests, but Kaneki had expected this. It wasn't completely full, but it was still busy.

"Ah, there you two are!" Kaya Irimi, one of the workers, a woman with long hair, smiled when she saw them. "Just in time!"

"I got to admit, you two guys look dashing." Kaya complimented.

"Thank you, Kaya-san." Both raven haired teens bowed.

"Man, gotta say, I'm jealous." Enji Koma, a burly man sporting a punk hair style, chuckled. "I wish I was that young." He looked at Kaya. "Don't you?"

"Oh please." the woman rolled her eyes. "We're still plenty young."

"I know, I know..." Koma waved it off. "But even this guy can dream, can't he?"

"Just get back to work,"

"Hai, hai..."

Kirito chuckled. "Koma-san's pretty laid back, isn't he?" he asked. Kaya giggled. "Trust me, he wasn't always like that."

"So, er..." Kaneki fidgeted, adjusting the tie around his collar. He was so nervous it felt like it was choking him. "What do we do?"

"Kaneki-kun, you go and take orders." the woman instructed. "Kirigaya-kun, you man the counter and help me out."

"Okay." Kazuto nodded. "So long as you don't want me to make coffee the way Yoshimura-san does. I failed at it. Epic."

"Haha...believe me, I know the feeling. None of us have ever gotten to his level yet." Kaya assured him.

"Wait, really?" Kaneki asked, surprised.

Kirito patted him on the shoulder. "Let me put it to you this way, Kaneki..." he said with a look of revere. "It is heaven in the form of liquid."

"Alright, enough gawking, you two!" Touka snapped. "Let's get to work!"

"Hai!" the two One-Eyes spoke in unison.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sen Takatsuki sighed as she reclined in her chair. "Allllllllll done!" she said in relief. "Whew, talk about one busy day!"

"Well, we wouldn't even be this busy if you hadn't shown up late!" her manager said, annoyed. "Honestly, Takatsuki-san! Why do you ALWAYS show up late?"

"Mou, it's not my fault..." the author replied with a pout. "Do you realize how late I stay up working on my chapters?"

"Well, that may be true, but you still have an alarm clock, right? Could you at least try to be punctual?" The man lightly begged.

"Sorry, sorry! I just keep sleeping through it!"

"Maah, why do I even bother..." the man said in exasperation. "Listen, Takatsuki-san, you're next book signing is set for the week after next month! Try to be on time!"

Sen nodded, smiling as she packed up her things and bid her manager good-bye, walking out of the book store.

For those that don't know, Sen was an accomplished author, having written three books, all of which recorded as best sellers. Her first book, Dear Kafka, was sold in Japan and overseas, having become what earned her success. In honesty, however, she really never paid attention to that stuff. She had more important things to focus on.

For example, checking up on her father and her friends at Anteiku. She was messaged by Irimi that they recently got two new works, both of which were, to her disbelief, artificial Ghouls. They didn't know the specifics, but from what she knew, they were both given organs from two Ghouls, one from Bushido, and the other from Rize Kamishiro.

Even more than that, the two who received the organs were originally human. After the transplant, they became One-Eyed Ghouls.

In all of her life, Sen only knew two One-Eyes. Speaking of which, one of them had just made the news, doing what he did best: stealing.

She giggled at the thought. The one on the news always had the skills of a master thief. He always stole anything that caught his eye with refined skill. Ah...memories...

As she thought this...her mind couldn't help but turn to her other acquaintance. She hasn't seen him in years...

"Who knows, maybe I'll see him at Anteiku?" she wondered aloud before returning to reality. "Well, to work I go!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Ayato Kirishima gasped for air, his hands at his stomach. "Gagh...!" he breathed, every inch of his body in pain.

His opponent sighed, shaking his head. "Ayato-kun, that won't do at all..." he said in a soft voice. "You have to be more ruthless than that..."

"S-sorry..." the young man apologized, trying to get up on his feet. "One... one more time!"

"No, we are done for the day." the man before him stated, snapping the book in his hand shut, earning a wince from the Ukaku Ghoul. "You've made plenty of progress."

"P-progress?!" Ayato repeated. "But I didn't even land a solid hit once!"

"That may be...but you lasted much longer than last time."

Ayato faltered. He was right, the last time they went at it, he had lasted only three minutes. Now, he was able to stand against him for seven.

He released a sigh. "Fine... Damn, no wonder they say you're the King's right hand man."

The figure merely smiled at the Ukaku Ghoul, slipping his book into his back pocket as he stepped forward, offering a hand. His features were now revealed, having stepped out of the dark.

He was a young man, presumably in his mid twenties with ebony hair tied back into a ponytail and deep red eyes. On his person was a bloody red jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a buttoned shirt underneath, and a pair of formal black slacks. Even though they were fighting for eleven minutes, it looked like he wasn't even touched due to the pristine condition of his attire and complexion.

The man before Ayato was one of the strongest members, if not the most powerful, in all of Aogiri... Raiju, otherwise known as the One-Eyed Dragon. In truth, Ayato knew nothing, other than he always had a smile on his face, and acted respectfully... but beneath that was a cruelty that far outmatched even his being as a Ghoul. He inspired both awe and fear into the hearts of everyone that laid their eyes on him.

Ayato revered the man as if he were a god.

"Come now." Raiju said. "I may be strong, but I hardly think of myself as the King's second."

"Che!" Ayato scoffed, clasping his hand around his superior's and pulling himself up. "Everyone else says otherwise!"

"Well...that's just their opinion. No idea why they all think that, though." Raiju chuckled, as if it were all a joke.

The young Kirishima rolled his eyes. He should have gotten used to this trait of Raiju. The man always disregards what everyone else thinks.

It had been two years since Ayato first joined Aogiri. Those years hadn't been fun, but they had taught him more than enough to know and reinforce what he believed in. Power was everything, it was absolute. Those who were weak were crushed and left out to rot and die. Of course, despite having all of this power, Ayato thought that he was weak, having been unable to protect his older sister when the time came.

He hated feeling weak, a feeling he never wanted to feel.

"You're showing it again." Raiju pointed out, startling the youth. "Whenever you start to think about something serious, you have this deep scowl on your face. I take it this has to do with Touka Kirishima of Anteiku?"

Ayato flinched slightly as Raiju's words hit right on the mark.

"And by your sudden flinch, I would assume that I'm right. Right?" His superior grinned.

"...Maybe..."

"Haha, you've always been so easy to read." Raiju chuckled. "Although, I suppose it must be nice to have siblings."

'I haven't seen mine in so long...'

True enough...it has been years since he last saw the two people he could call family. However, he had heard that they have been doing fairly well. One of them was a master thief that had the CCG tearing their hair out, something he thoroughly enjoyed, while the other become a successful author.

While he was one of the Executives of the most dangerous group of Ghouls in the world.

"Well, I suppose I better get going." Raiju decided. "I'll be taking my leave. Please inform Tatara that our next target will be the 8th ward."

"Hai, Raiju-sama!" Ayato nodded, watching his superior leave.

Once he entered the hallway, he felt himself smile. "Perhaps I should visit Anteiku..." he wondered. "It's been quite a long time since I've had a talk with Kuzen."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Whew...!" Kirito breathed a heavy sigh of relief, leaning back against the wall. "We made it...!"

"Oh, quit your bitching, Kuro-baka." Touka grunted, folding her arms. "This was a piece of cake."

"Easy for you to say, you actually have experience with this job. Today's our first day, right Kaneki?" Kirito looked to his friend, and sweat dropped upon seeing him conked out in a booth. "Never mind..."

"Well, he's not really used to this kind of job." Koma chuckled. "Still, you did pretty well, Kirigaya-kun. Although... that coffee of yours is pretty damn spicy. I'm surprised people actually like it!"

"Eh?" Kirito frowned, tilting his head. "What do you mean by 'spicy'? I tasted it myself, and there was nothing out of the ordinary."

"Says you! It felt like my tongue was going to melt. And I'm a ghoul for Christ's sakes! just what did you put in it?!" Touka yelled.

"I just added a few spices to give it some kick. But...it didn't seem to do anything. I mean, it still tasted the same."

Kaya chuckled nervously, sweat dropping in sync with the others. "Either you are used to hot stuff... or your taste buds have gone dead." she said, earning a nod of agreement from Touka.

Just then, Yoshimura came in, coming in from down the stairs. "Oh, manager..." Touka greeted, bowing her head respectfully. The others followed suit. The old man smiled at them before noticing Kaneki's sleeping form. "I see someone was tired from all this chaos..." he mused before looking over at Kirito. "By the way, excellent job well done for your first day here, Kirigaya-kun."

"Arigato, Yoshimura-san."

"Although...That coffee of yours was...unusual. What inspired you to use spice in your blend?" The elderly man asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I just wanted to add a bit of kick to my coffee. But it didn't really seem to work. To me it tastes the same." Kirito folded his arms in confusion.

"I still call bullshit!" the hot-tempered Ukaku growled. "Just how in the hell did you make it so damn hot?!"

"And I keep telling you!" Kirito growled. "It! Was! Mild!"

"It sure as hell wasn't, Kuro-baka!"

"Will you stop calling me that?!"

Kaya sighed. "Oh boy... I know where this is gonna go." she muttered, earning a nod from Koma.

"Reminds me of how we used to be back during our glory days."

While the two were engrossed in their arguement, Yoshimura walked over to Kaneki, gently nudging his shoulder. The boy stirred. "A booth isn't exactly the best place to take a nap, Kaneki-kun." the old man advised with a smile.

"Oh..." Kaneki yawned. "S-sorry, Yoshimura-san..."

"It's understandable, since today is your first day." Yoshimura said.

"Gah, you are so annoying!"

"Look who's talking, Dobe-Shima!"

"D-Dobe-Shima?!" Touka glared, her Kakugan flashing. "Oh, that is IT! Bring it you black bastard!"

"Anytime, anywhere, witch!"

Yoshimura sighed in annoyance. "Oh, for heaven's sakes..."

The sound of the bell ringing signaled the coming of a new customer. "Ohayo!" a female voice greeted before faulting, seeing the spat between Kirito and Touka. "Ano... Did I come here at a bad time?"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, everyone, aside from Kirito and Kaneki immediately whipped around to see who it was. The two raven haired teens looked on in confusion.

"Oh, welcome back Eto." Yoshimura smiled.

"Hi Dad!" The green haired woman waved cheerfully. She then noticed the two new faces. "Ara? Are these the new workers you told me about?"

"Indeed." the Ghoul nodded. "Allow me to introduce Anteiku's newest workers: Kazuto Kirigaya and Ken Kaneki."

The woman smiled. "Nice to meet the both of you!" she bowed humbly. "I'm Sen Takatsuki, but everyone just calls me Eto! Nice to meet you!"

Kaneki's eyes immediately went wide. "T-T-Takatsuki-san?!" he cried in shock. "You mean THAT Takatsuki-san?! The author of The Egg of the Black Goat?!"

"Wait, so she's famous?" Kirito frowned, tilting his head before something registering. "...Hold up, did she just call you Dad?"

"That's right, Kirigaya-kun." Yoshimura chuckled. "Eto is my daughter."

Kirito looked at the Green haired woman, then to Yoshimura. He didn't think they were lying...but he couldn't quite see the resemblance. Still, he didn't let it bother him. If Yoshimura says so, then there is no room for doubt.

Kaneki, however...was still caught up on the fact he was meeting THE Sen Takatsuki! His favorite author...in person!

"Oi, Kaneki." Kirito waved his hand in front of the still shell-shocked boy. "Hello? Anyone there?"

"Probably in shock from meeting her." Koma shrugged, grinning as he turned to Eto. "Looks like one of your fans is one of our workers, Eto-chan."

The girl giggled. "So I see... Oh, wait, I've seen you before!" she recalled, smiling brightly as she walked over to him. "You were at my book signing for Dear Kafka!"

"E-eh?" Kaneki finally snapped out of his stupor, and bowed. "H-hai! It's-it's an honor to meet you!"

"Oh, don't be so uptight!"

"So, if you're the manager's daughter..." Realization dawned on him. "Then, does that mean you're..."

"Heehee~ Yep." Eto nodded. "Take a look."

In one second, the Kakugan appeared... except what shocked both Kirito and Kaneki was that she only had one of them manifested, resting in her right eye.

She was just like them?!

"Y-you only have one eye...?" Kirito stuttered.

"Yep! Although...I'm what you would call a natural born one-eyed Ghoul. My mother was human. My dad...you already know." Eto explained. "Still, this is my first time meeting artificial one-eyed ghouls...two of them in fact." The woman took a closer look at the two in fascination.

Wait...natural born?

"So, hold on..." Kirito paused. "You mean... One-Eyes aren't artificial?"

"No." Yoshimura shook his head. "There are cases of humans and Ghouls coming together, but as far as I know, there are only three, my daughter being one of them. Speaking of which..." The old man chuckled. "It appears young Uhara-kun is stirring up a ruckus again."

"Eh, what can you do, Dad?" Eto shrugged her shoulders. "No changing him, especially when he's got a rep to uphold!"

"Sorry, but who's Uhara?" Kaneki asked curiously.

"Oh, he's-!"

Just then, the door opened again. "Excuse me," a polite voice spoke from behind. "Are you still open?"

Everyone looked to the door once more. This time, they found a young man with messy black hair and dark gray eyes behind a pair of square rimmed glasses. He was wearing a black blazer with a white turtleneck underneath it, along with a leather belt keeping his plaid red and black striped slacks in place, and leather shoes. In his hand was a black satchel. By his appearance, he seemed to be a student in High school. To everyone else's surprise, Kaneki recognized the newcomer.

"Takeshi?"

The young man blinked alongside Eto, who craned her neck and stared at his face.

"Oh, Kaneki-san!" the young man, Takeshi, smiled. "I didn't think I'd see you working here... Wait, Eto is here too?"

"Ooh, it IS you!" Eto smiled brightly, running up and bringing the young man into a hug. "Oh man, you've gotten taller! ...It's not fair! You used to be so huggable, just like a teddie bear!" she squealed, a blush on her cheeks while Takeshi's face turned red, looking away and scratching his cheek.

"So..." Kirito chuckled. "I take it you and Eto-chan know him?"

Kaneki nodded. "Yeah. Even though he's in high school, he's pretty popular, even at Kamii. He's the role model student at Suenji High School. His name is Takeshi Uhara."

"And he's also the second one-eye I mentioned earlier." Yoshimura chuckled. "I believe you know him better as "The Phantom"?"

The two blinked. Once. Twice. Three times.

Then their jaws dropped.

"WHAAAT?!"

"Y-y-y-you mean...You are the very same master thief that's been featured on the news?!" Kirito shakily pointed a finger at him.

"A-a-and...you are a one-eyed ghoul...like Takatsuki-san?!" Kaneki added. He was just starting to get used to his new life. He really didn't need another rug puled out from under him.

"Hehe...yeah..." Takaeshi rubbed the back of his head.

"Not just that, but he happens to the cutest, most adorable little brother I've had the pleasure of having!" Eto gushed, pulling further into her embrace, thus making the boy uncomfortable.

"Gah, come on, Nee-san... You're embarrassing me here..."

"Eh? Nee-san...?" Both teens titled their heads in confusion.

"What my daughter means is that Takeshi-kun is one of her close friends from childhood. She was older, and was often the big sister of the group. Ah...memories..." Yoshimura spoke of the past, a smile gracing his lips. If only it was possible to return to those beautiful memories.

"Oh, I see..."

"Well, I suppose it's nice to meet you." Takeshi smiled once Eto finally released him, much to his pleasure. "I'm Takeshi Uhara, but you can call me Takeshi."

Kirito chuckled, taking his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kazuto Kirigaya, but you can call me Kirito."

Takeshi's eyes widened. "Kirito... By any chance, are you the Hero of Aincrad?" he asked curiously. Kirito nodded. Almost instantly, Takeshi smiled brightly. "Unbelievable... To think I'd get the chance to meet the guy who beat SAO... Man, what a small world we live in!"

"Aha...I take you've heard of me." Kirito mused.

"Of course. I heard all about you around school. You were the same person who defeated that Death Game and saved the 6,000 survivors. You were also well known for the ALO incident, saving the 300 players who had yet to wake up and expose that bastard Sugou Nobuyuki's experiments for brain control. Seriously, if you hadn't I would've taken that guy out myself, so I respect you for taking care of that scumbag!"

"Whoa, hold up, wait, back up!" Touka shouted, holding up her hands and staring at Kirito with disbelief. "Are you telling me Kuro-baka is the guy who beat Sword Art Online or whatever?!"

"Yes. That's right!" Takeshi nodded. "He was also the guy who solved the Death Gun Incident. Man, you really saved a bunch of people with that one."

"Oh, come on..." Kirito blushed, scratching his cheek. "Anyone could have done it!"

Kaneki chuckled. "Sorry, Kazuto-san, but I think only someone like you could do all of that." he said, smiling. "I mean, if it weren't for you... I would probably still be a mess."

"And a whiny bitch." Touka added, causing Kaneki to wince and Kirito to scowl.

Eto sighed, shaking her head. "Oh for Pete's sake, Tou-chan, we all know you love the boy, but can you show you're affection elsewhere?" she asked, almosting mockingly.

'Ah, sweet revenge...' Kirito grinned, finding the look on the girl's face to be absolutely priceless.

"Sh-shut up, Eto!" Touka sputtered. SHe loved The green haired woman like a sister, but there were times when she just pressed her buttons.

"Aha! See what I mean?"

"Ah, love..." Takeshi sighed, a teasing grin on his face. "So... when's the wedding?"

"Shut it you!" Touka barked at him, throwing the rag she was using to clean the tables at his face.

Takeshi, however, easily dodged it. "Woho, hey now!" he chuckled. "No hitting the face! I want to keep it intact, thank you!"

"Can it, Four-Eyes!"

"Wow, three seconds and he's already pissed off Touka." Koma remarked, whistling. "Nicely done... though, aren't you protesting too much?"

"That, and her face is red." Kaya giggled. "I'm surprised. I didn't think Touka-chan would go for the meek, innocent type."

Kaneki frowned. "Wait... meek?"

He thought back to when he first met the girl. He distinctively recalled her calling him a wuss and other things. Was she really thinking otherwise...?

"D-dammit, not you guys too!" Touka cried in disbelief, her cheeks tinged complete with scarlet. "I'm not into that pansy!"

"Hot damn, would you look at that face!" Kirito laughed. "Touka and Kaneki, sitting in a tree~ K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"THAT'S IT KURO-BAKA!" the girl howled, her face splashed with rage. "YOU ARE SO FUCKING DEAD!"

Kaneki, proudly taking advantage of his proclaimed cowardly trait, did the smart thing and took refuge in another booth, hiding behind a table while Eto sat next to him with a grin on her face. "Heehee~ Anteiku sure has gotten interesting!"

Yoshimura nodded in agreement, a warm smile on his aged face. "Indeed it has..." A moment later, he sighed. "Although, I do have the feeling that I may need to get some insurance, should this become a daily occurence."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, he's at it again, huh?" Amon mused, a slight scowl when he saw the news report. "I know Ghouls are unpredictable... but why is one acting like a thief?"

Mado chuckled. "When it comes to Ghouls like that, Amon-kun..." the old man said with a crazed grin as usual. "I'm afraid trying to understand them is the same as asking for a headache. Still, I wonder why The Phantom steals information that most people wouldn't want the public to know. It certainly raised quite a lot of questions."

Indeed it does. What the ghoul, Phantom, has accomplished was revealing the secrets of corrupt political leaders, directors, doctors, policemen, etc. All that he's been doing was exposing their conspiracies and having said humans arrested and punished to the fullest extent of the law. To the victims, it was like an angel had brought forth well deserved justice, to the investigators...it was mind boggling as hell.

Why would a ghoul go so far to help humans? It makes no sense whatsoever.

Of course, Amon never really did understand ghouls all that well. It was a given, considering his past experiences. However, there had been one Ghoul that he had been interested in, one that defied everything he knew about them.

"Mado-san..." Amon spoke up, his tone serious. "Is there any new information on Shi?"

Mado raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "No. We haven't caught a whiff of him since he killed that pesky little vermin we were chasing back at the 12th Ward." The older Investigator turned to his partner. "I have been meaning to ask this for a while now, Amon-kun... What is your fixation on that Ghoul?"

"It's because...He is the only Ghoul Known to us that solely kills his own kind, leaving humans alone."

It was true. Shi was the only Ghoul the CCG had data on that stated that just about all of his victims were his fellow ghouls. There were practically no humans that were victim to him.

"I doubt that is the only reason." Mado drawled. "Shi isn't just a regular Ghoul, he wasn't made into an SS for no reason. He is like a war veteran, he knows how it goes on the battlefield. Even more than that, he takes jobs that involve him slaughtering his targets."

"That is true..." Amon nodded in agreement. "But, there is something more than that."

"Oh?"

"Shi..." the young man frowned. "It is almost as if... he despises Ghouls."

Mado actually raised an eyebrow. A Ghoul that despises his own kind? Such a thing never came across his mind. Ever since the Owl Incident, that mere idea never occurred to him. He always perceived Ghouls to be monsters that need to be put down. "...And what makes you say that, Amon-kun?"

"Why does he only go after Ghouls?" Amon brought up the million dollar question. "I would understand if it was cannibalism, but none of our records show he actually eats them. In addition, the deaths are... brutal... to say the least."

That had been an understatement. The kagune was absolutely torn and shredded like someone tossed it to the meat grinder, and then tossed the body inside before pulverizing it into a bloody mess. Were it not for the RC levels, no one would probably be able to tell if it was a Ghoul or not.

"...I see." His partner nodded. "Then again, we do not know the mindset of Ghouls, so it's hard to say if that is truly his way of thinking. You may be onto something, but I'm going to give you advice Amon-kun. Do not let your hunches get in the way of your duty."

"Learn to take your own advice, Mado-san." Amon retorted back with a smirk, eliciting a chuckle from Mado.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Wait, p-please, wait-!"

SHING

It was a quick slash, one that brought his life to an end. The Ghoul's head rolled to the floor, bouncing off the ground while the body fell forward with a loud thump.

The figure sighed, shaking his head. "Never beg for your life." he said with a cold tone as his Kagune, a Koukaku in the shape of a scythe, slowly receded into his shoulder.

He was wearing a black trench coat over a dark blue blazer red buttoned shirt, complete with dark gray, worn jeans and black heavy combat boots, a black belt hanging loosely off to the side, along with dark red gloves. His mask seemed to be the personification of death. The mask itself is pure white with a slim red slit acting as a mouth, and two black eyes. Written along the left cheek is the Kanji for Death. His hair is black, and reached down to the collar of his jacket.

The black-clad Ghoul, known only as Shi, looked at the corpse before leaning down, taking out what looked like a silver scalpel, and driving it into the base of the neck. With a quick pull, the knife was released, covered in crimson liquid. "This should do..." Shi muttered before standing back up, turning around to leave.

Only to be met with opposition. "We've found you, Shi!" the Investigators, two wearing trench coats and armed with Quinques, stood at the doorway. "Give it up!"

Shi sighed. "You are not my enemies. Stand aside."

"Like hell we're going to listen to a Ghoul like you!" The one on the left said. "Now just give up and come quietly...or things WILL be messy!"

The man sighed, shaking his head. "I have no time for this..."

He unleashed his Kagune. "I prefer not killing humans. I apologize if this hurts."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" The investigator on the right questioned. But before he could finish that sentence, Shi was already behind him. Using the blunt side of his Kagune, he smashed into the man's arm that held his Quinque, shattering the bone.

"GAAAGH!"

"Roku!" his partner cried with fury. "You son of a-!"

He barely managed to dodge Shi's kick. The impact from the sheer strength alone created a large dent in the wall. "As I said, I have no time for this." Shi said once more. "I have no quarrel with humans, especially Investigators such as yourselves. I shall say this only once more: Stand aside."

"Sh-shut up...!" The man stammered, shell shocked from the brute strength shown by Shi. "As if we'd adhere to the words of a monster like you! I won't lose!"

"...Such stupidity..." Shi sighed.

Truly, he regretted having to deal with fools such as this. You try to act as the peace maker, and instead, they try to pick a fight with you, all because you are a Ghoul.

This was among the times he wished he was born as a human.

"Kasei!" the frightened man's partner shouted, overcoming the pain in his arm and tossing his Quinque into his hand. "Let's do it! The combo!"

"Right!"

Shi raised an eyebrow as he watched the two act in perfect sync, prowling around him. 'Interesting...' he thought. 'But in the end...'

The charged.

"Useless."

The moment they were within range, a gleam of silver dashed all around him.

The sound of their Quinque's shattering right before their very eyes were music to his ears.

"Wh-what?!"

"But...how?!"

Those questioned were left unanswered as Shi swung his Kagune, the non-lethal side striking them in the back of their heads, effectively knocking them out.

Once they were on the ground, unconscious, he slipped his Kagune back, and sighed once again. He had been doing this a lot lately. "I do not have time for such tomfoolery." he muttered, and made his way to the exit.

XXXXXXXXXX

Asuna couldn't sleep.

This had been a recurring event. Every time she tried to close her eyes and be whisked to dreamland, the terrors of a recurring nightmare haunted her. It kept repeating the same scenario, yet each time leaves a lasting effect as if she's never seen it till now.

Every time she tried to go to sleep, the sight of her beloved Kirito being slain by Bushido filled her head. She tightened her grip on her pillow at the mere thought. She had seen him cut up by the fiendish Ghoul, his limbs lacerated, his internal organs spill out through the slits, him drowning from his own blood filling his lungs...and him being devoured alive...

Tears spilled out from her eyes...realizing that her nightmares may not be far off from the truth.

"Kirito-kun..." she whimpered. Realizing she may not be able to fall asleep again, she sat up and turned on the small TV set in her room.

"Our top story today..." the anchor woman said in her usual professional tone. "A few days ago, Doctor Akihiro Kanou performed two operations that saved the life of two young men, who's names have not been divulged to the media as of yet. From what we know, Doctor Kanou had not asked permission from the next of kin, and as a result, is suffering from major backlashes. We were able to interview him, asking him why he had performed the operation without consent."

After the anchor woman finished, a new video feed popped up. It portrayed a middle aged man, presumably in his fifties, with a full head of silver hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a white doctor's coat and had someone interviewing him. Asuna assumed that this was Akihiro Kanou.

"In all honesty, I don't care about what my colleagues and what the public may think." Kanou said with a stern expression. "Saving those boys' life was my top priority as a doctor."

"Doctor, who exactly were the organ donors?" the camera man asked.

"The donors were both victims, but unfortunately, they couldn't be saved." he said regrettably. "We didn't have much of a choice."

"Can you give us the name of the young men who you saved?"

"I'm sorry, I can't disclose that." Kanou answered. "Patient confidentiality. I am sure you understand."

"There are rumors that the young boys were attacked by Ghouls, is that true?"

Asuna froze, her hands clenching tightly at the pillow between her chest and legs. That had been the absolute last word she wanted to hear.

"I'm afraid so..." Kanou nodded grimly. "...There was so much that I was able to do...but in the end...I was unable to save the donors. They were already killed long before they were taken in to the E.R."

"Doctor Kanou, is it true that, among the four victims, one of them was the SAO Survivor Kazuto Kirigaya?!"

"As I said, I can't...!"

Asuna shut off the TV, her bangs shadowing her eyes.

The silence in her room weighed down heavily. But it was eventually broken. She was holding onto the pillow in dear life, as if it were Kirito. She was biting down her lower lip hard to muffle her sobs. Tears spilled from her eyes and cascaded down her cheeks before finally dripping onto the pillow case.

Her nightmares had terrified her...but the news she just saw outright petrified her. She never should've turned on the TV. If she didn't then she wouldn't have learned that Kirito was part of the victims.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang. Wiping away one of her tears, she reached out for it.

The caller was Suguha.

She grew hesitant. She possessed mixed feelings. On one hand, she wanted someone to talk to. On the other...she didn't want to discuss such a thing with her beloved's cousin. Still...if Sugha hadn't seen the news yet, then she probably deserved a right to know.

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she answered the call.

"...Hello?"

"Hey, Asuna..." the saddened voice of her lover's sister gretted. "H-how... are you feeling?"

"In honesty...?" Asuna laughed mirthlessly. "I don't know... did you see the news?"

There was a slight pause. "...Yeah, I did... Do you think that... Onii-chan..." She could hear the choked sobs slowly starting to appear.

"...I...I don't know...Suguha...But...I really don't want it to be true..." The chestnut haired girl responded...a sob escaping.

"Neither do I..."

"I... I talked with Rika-san earlier..." Suguha managed to say without any sort of teariness in her. "We…decided on something."

"What...did you decide on...?"

"...We're going to become Ghoul Investigators."

To Be Continued…

**"A date which will live in infamy..." -President Franklin D. Roosevelt**


	5. Creeping Dread

**Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride, the creator of so many great stories like Highschool DxD: Shatter Destiny, Evangelion REDUX: You Can (Not) Despair, Highschool: Devil X Seraph, Code Geass Tokyo Ghoul, and many more. I could never have created this and my other projects without him. **

**Like, follow, favorite, and review. Thank you to all who continue to support this story. **

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 5: Creeping Dread**

Shinohara blinked, looking at the paper in his hands, then at Matsude, who stood in front of him, then back at the paper, and the back at him. "...You gotta be kidding."

"It's no joke." the man said, his face old and stern as he leaned against the desk behind him, his arms folded over his chest. "Those kids aced the exams with flying colors, and their combat exams were, well... I don't think I ever seen kids with that kind of level since when Amon first joined the CCG."

"Yeah, but... Christ, they're so young."

"I know..." the special investigator nodded. "however, These kids were determined to pass and join. I saw the extent of their resolve. It's just as strong, if not stronger, then Amons."

"Even still..." Shinohara stated, staring at the exam sheet in his hands. "This score... It's unbelievable. Only two out of four scored the highest on the written exam, but all of them had top marks on the combat exams. A knife, bow and arrow, rapier, katana, hammer... These girls are something."

"No kidding." Matsude chuckled. "And here's the best part: Two of those little ladies are from that death game."

"No fooling?"

"No fooling."

"Unbelievable..." the man shook his head. "They must have been fighting for their lives in that game, and even in real life, they show that same tenacity."

"Indeed. Although...it makes one wonder what could've spurred them into this war." Matsude spoke in a solemn tone.

"Do you think it has something to do with Kazuto Kirigaya being the victim in that one incident?"

"Might be." the grim-faced man replied, shrugging his shoulders. "We did find his blood at the scene, but we couldn't identify the bodies, with them being so mangled. Hell, with the amount of corpses, I wouldn't be surprised if his body was already digested in that Ghoul's stomach."

"Which Ghoul was responsible, anyway?" Shinohara asked. "The one that was cannibalized and pummeled to death, anyway?"

"The tattoo on the arm is the same one worn by Ripper."

Shinohara's eyes widened. "Ripper? As in, the S-Class Ghoul Ripper?"

"The very same."

"Damn... Do we know who it was that killed him?"

"All we know is that it was another Ghoul, a patient from what the nurse recalled. She didn't get a good look at his face, but she did see him wielding a black Koukaku. He looked pretty young, skinny too, if the reports are accurate."

"So, we're after a teenage Ghoul..." the Investigator hummed. "I can't remember the last time I met a Ghoul that young."

"Who would have thought that Fura was the same as Arima?" Shinohara chuckled, which later came from Marude as well. "Well, do we have any leads on this young Ghoul?"

"Unfortunately, no." the other Investigator sighed. "For now, we let the police do that part for us, along with whoever feels useful in trying to find him. In the meantime, who's gonna be paired up with these girls?"

"Hm, good question." Shinohara pondered, a hand on his chin as he overlooked the papers concerning their combat data. "Asada appears to excel at long range combat, so she would work well with Houji, if he weren't with Takizawa. Yuuki seems like she could handle herself pretty well with that rapier, so perhaps she could be with Koori. The real question is who should these two be teamed up with?" He tapped his fingers on the pictures of three girls, one with brown hair wielding a heavy-class Koukaku Quinque, one with shot black hair holding a katana-shaped Quinque, and the final one of a girl with orange hair wielding a standard Bikaku knife.

"Hm...how about Fura for Shinozaki's partner, and Kotone paired up with Akira. And Kirigaya paired up with Iwa?"

"And what of Yuuki?"

Before he could answer, a new voice entered the conversation. "I'll take her on." The two turned, and their eyes widened. Entering the room was a young man in their early thirties, bearing white hair and cold gray eyes. Sitting on his nose was a pair of glasses. Like any Investigator, he wore a dark suit with a buttoned shirt underneath the jacket, and a black tie around the neck.

"A-Arima."

"Are...Are you sure that's wise? Yuuki may have scored top marks on the exams, but I don't believe she has the proper experience yet. And it's barely been two years since she woke up from that incident in ALO.

"Her skills speak for themselves." the Reaper of the CCG stated, not breaking stride. His presence was powerful, quiet but deadly, almost like a needle waiting to strike the nerve. "Also..." the man adjusted her glasses. "She has a reason to fight. I believe that is sufficient."

"But Arima...just let me ask...why would you want her to be your partner?" Marude questioned their fellow special investigator.

The man merely gave a ghost of a smile. "She reminds me of myself."

XXXXXXXXXX

Rika stared at herself in the window, a look of uncertainty on her face. "...I look like a secretary."

She was wearing a black coat and skirt over a dark red buttoned shirt and navy blue tie. She was also wearing black stockings and blue heels.

"Oh relax Liz..." Asuna came up from behind. "...You look fine." She was wearing a similar outfit, only her shirt was red and her tie white.

"Says the girl who could pull off any outfit." Rika scoffed playfully.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Asuna pouted before smiling. "Anyway, how did you think you did?" she asked. "Have they told you?"

Rika shook her head. "No, not yet. How about you?"

"Same here."

"You think Suguha and Kotone did well?"

The blacksmith shrugged her shoulders. "Probably. Although, I do feel kinda underwhelmed. I mean, you saw how Shino did!" the girl sighed. "And here I thought she was just good at games."

"I know, right?" Asuna was also awed by her friend's marksmanship. During their combat exam, Shino was given a bow-type Quinque with arrows that automatically reload. Her assignment was to hit all the targets before time runs out with enough points to pass. She hit every target in the bulls-eye.

"It doesn't matter what it is, guns or bows, she always hits her mark." the rapier-user continued. "Even in real-life, she's the gaming world's ultimate marksman."

"Thanks for the compliment."

The girls blinked, and turned to see the girl in question walking toward them, Suguha walking with her. Shino wore a black suit that hugged her curves well, the shirt unbuttoned to allow some breathing room, though she unknowingly revealed a slight bit of cleavage. Suguha wore a similar outfit, except hers was light green with a yellow tie bearing black stripes.

Her jacket appeared snug...especially around the chest portion. Like Shino, she undid a couple buttons to make some room, exposing some cleavage as well.

"Wow...you two sure know how to add sex appeal in these outfits."

Shino glared at the girl cutely, while Suguha puffed her cheeks. "Not on purpose! They didn't have anything bigger to fit me!"

Rika sweatdropped. "...I can't tell if you're boasting, or complaining."

Asuna chuckled nervously. "S-so, where's Kotone-chan?"

"She's getting our test results." Shino answered. "She'll be with one of the senior Investigators."

"Really? I hope we get the same. I really can't wait to get out there..." Rika stated, resentment laced in her voice. Ever since the news story, she detested Ghouls with a newfound passion. However, her rage was nothing compared to what Suguha and Asuna are going through.

"Oi, calm down." Shino advised. "We feel the same way, but don't let your emotions get the best of you." A small smile touched her face. "I'm sure Kirito-kun would tell you the same thing."

Rika giggled slightly. "Are you trying to emulate Kirito-kun?"

"And failing horribly." the girl sighed. Of course, this caused all the girls to burst out laughing. As they waited for Kotone to arrived with the Investigator and the test results, they began some idle chatter. "So, you think we'll meet that guy from before? Amon-san, he said his name was?"

"Maybe." Suguha said, taking a sip from her cup of coffee that she got from the cafe in the lobby. "From what I've heard, he's one of the youngest Investigators here to reach Rank 1."

"Is that a big deal?" Asuna asked.

Shino nodded. "One of the top dogs here in CCG became a Special Class when he was still in his twenties."

Okay, I feel weird now that we are interchanging names.

"Seriously?" Rika questioned her glasses wearing friend. "Was he some sort of prodigy or something?"

"That's what everyone here calls him. But from what I heard, most of the investigators are actually jealous of his ability, which in turn, makes them strive to do better."

"Really? What's his name?"

"Arima, Kishou." Shino answered. "If you had to make a comparison... think of him as the Kirito of the CCG, especially since he's called the Undefeated Ghoul Investigator."

Rika'seyes widened. "S-seriously?! What is this guy, a monster?"

"He also has another, more colorful nickname if yo wanna know."

"What is it?"

The girl smiled.

"The CCG's Reaper."

"...It's a fitting name...From reputation alone...he sounds nothing more than a being of death." Asuna commented.

Suguha, on the other hand, paled. "R-Reaper...?"

Lisbeth sighed. "Oh boy... I'm kind of glad Silica-chan didn't wanna join. If someone earned a nickname like that, I don't even wanna know how strong Ghouls are."

Their chatter ceased when Shino saw two people walking toward them. One they recognized as Philia, who was dressed in a suit as well, except also lacking a tie, and the suit itself was colored dark blue. Beside her was a burly man with a stern, iron-clad face. He had a buzz cut, and despite looking old and worn, his eyes suggested he had definitely lived and breathed battle.

"Oh, Kotone!" Asuna greeted, smiling as she bowed her head to the man. He bowed his head back to them.

"Hey, guys." the treasure hunter waved at them. "Got our scores. We all passed."

"Really?! That's awesome!" Rika cheered. The other girls were just as excited. Now they were able to become Investigators! They can finally go fulfill their goal.

Once they calmed down, Suguha took the time to point out the male investigator. "Ano...who is this?"

"This is Kuroiwa-senpai." she introduced. "He's an Associate Special Class."

The burly man nodded his head. "It's nice to see youngsters like you deciding to take up this line of work." he said, his voice strong and powerful like the rest of him. "But, I won't lie... It's also saddening to see ones so young risking their lives."

"We're aware of the dangers, Kuroiwa-san." Asuna responded, her eyes blazing with determination. "But... we still want to fight."

Kuroiwa's lips tugged upward. "...Heh, least you got fire. Now, down to business."

"Right...so we will be told who our partners will be now, Kuroiwa-san?" Shino asked.

"Yes." The man nodded as he pulled out a slip of paper from within his coat pocket.

Asuna took the paper into her hands. The girls gathered around her. Naturally, when they saw who Asuna's partner was, they were beyond shocked.

Rika was the first to react. "Well... I see where this partnership is gonna go."

Shino nodded in agreement. "It's to be expected."

"Wow..." Suguha said in amazement. "We were just talking about him!"

Asuna's partner was none other than Kishou Arima.

"Is...is this accurate?" The girl asked in uncertainty. It wasn't that she was objecting to the arrangement, but she was confused. Why was she paired up with CCG's Reaper?

"Yes. Yes it is." Kuroiwa nodded. "In fact, it was Arima-san who requested you be his partner."

"..." They all blinked once. Twice. Three times.

"EH?!"

The man nodded again. "That's right. I don't know the details, though."

Rika chuckled nervously again. "She always gets the strong ones for partners..." she muttered, recalling how she became a member of the strongest guild in SAO and being married to the strongest player in the game. "So, who are our partners?"

"Shinozaki will be paired with Taishi Fura, and Kirigaya will be with me." he answered, looking at Suguha. "I hear you're good with a blade. I'll be counting on you out there on the field."

"H-hai! I look forward to working with you as well!" Suguha bowed. However, she forgot that the cup of coffee was still in her hands. In her haste in action, she spilled its contents onto the floor.

Shino cracked a grin. "Klutz."

"Shut up, Sinon!"

Kuroiwa chuckled at their antics. At the very least, teens this young should be lively, instead of being so serious. "Kotone will be partnered with Second Class Investigator Akira Mado. She's a bit inexperienced herself, but she's quite talented in her own right as well."

"So... who will Shino be paired up with?" Asuna asked curiously.

"Her partner will be Special Class Investigator Mougan Tanakamaru."

"So I have a special-class for a partner as well? Well, should be interesting." Shino replied.

"So, what sort of person is Tanakamaru-san?"

"He's...rather eccentric in his own way..."

Shino frowned, but nodded.

"Um, by the way, Kuroiwa-san?" Suguha stammered, fidgeting with her hands. Ever since they arrived at CCG, she had been meaning to ask an Investigator about the incident in the hospital. "D-do you know about the Ghoul at the hospital?"

At this, the girls became pensive. They all wished to know the identity of the one that had taken Kirito from them. Kuroiwa nodded, having already gone through their profiles. "When Investigators Mado and Amon performed the investigation, Kureo-san discovered that there were two Ghouls present." The girls' eyes widened. There had been more than one?! "We managed to identify one of them. An S-Class Ghoul called Ripper."

"An S-Class?!" This put them even more on edge. There was a Ghoul THAT dangerous running wild in a hospital?!

"Yes. We were able to identify him due to the tattoo on his body. The rest of his body was devoured by the opposing Ghoul."

Asuna's eyes narrowed. "Wait, he was killed by another Ghoul?"

The burly Investigator nodded. "Yes, and a young one too. I'd say he was around your age. A nurse saw him devouring Ripper and later killed him. Cannibalism amongst Ghouls is actually rather rare, and from the look of things, it was obvious he had been starving. He must have refrained from eating the people at the hospital. There are a few cases of Ghouls preferring to go after their own kind rather than humans, though it's more along the lines of becoming stronger rather than having a sense of morality."

"What did the Ghoul look like?" Shino asked curiously.

"Scrawny, black hair, a black Koukaku..."

Asuna felt as if he were describing Kirito with that little description. Despite being athletic, his physics was damn near non-existent, so skinny you wouldn't think he was capable of it. 'Kirito-kun...' she thought sadly before she recalled something. "Wait, you said Ripper had a tattoo?"

"Yes." Kuroiwa confirmed. "What baffles me is that it was apparently a mark used by one of the guilds in that game you were all involved in... Sword Art Online, was it?"

"Yes...Wait, you mean that Ripper was one of the survivors?!" Rika exclaimed.

"That is correct. The mark that he had one looked like a coffin with a smiling face. I'd assume this belonged to the Laughing Coffin guild?"

Instantly, a deathly silence fell on the conversation. Looks of horror were present on their faces, unable to believe what they heard. Asuna looked the most horrified of all. Laughing Coffin had always been a source of horror and terror to her lover, and in more ways than one. She even heard from Suguha that sometimes, in the middle of the night, he would be screaming, flailing around wildly with a look of horror on his face.

Even though they were outside the game... the past continued to haunt them.

"Son of a bitch..." Shino growled, a scowl present on her face. "Those bastards caused enough trouble... And one of them is a fucking GHOUL? Talk about irony."

"Do you know the name of the Ghoul that killed Ripper?" Suguha asked, wanting to at least know the name of the Ghoul that killed the bastard who had avenged Kirito, if unknowingly.

"We don't know his real name...but based on the witness at the scene, the ghoul who killed Ripper bore a striking resemblance to an A-Class ghoul we have been after for a while now: Bushido."

"Bushido?" Asuna frowned. "But, isn't that the samurai code of honor?"

"It's a bit ironic for a Ghoul to posses it, I know." the man shrugged. "Other than a black Koukaku, the nurse also saw what looked like black wings from his back, signs of an Ukaku. Bushido was a recorded Chimera Ghoul, which possess two types of Kagune."

"So, even thought Ripper was S-Class, this Bushido was able to beat and consume him due to the fact he possesses two types of Kagune?" Shino inquired.

"That is correct. Chimera-types are especially dangerous as they are capable of even greater and unorthodox tactics. For example, Bushido was able to combine the agile and fast movements of an Ukaku type ghoul with the heavy and powerful weapon of a Koukaku type."

"Kinda sounds like Kirito-kun." Kotone said. "That perfectly suits his fighting style. But, why was this Bushido even there in the first place?"

"On that, we don't know." Kuroiwa confessed to them. "Although, we're not exactly sure it was him. From past records, Bushido was quite young, but nowhere near your age. Also, he's rather tall. Him going after a target at a hospital doesn't fit his profile at all."

Asuna hummed, fiddling with her hands. "Maybe... it was someone who possessed the same type of Kagune as he does?" she offered. "What are the chances of two Ghouls possessing the exact same Kagune?"

"Almost zero, but it isn't unheard of. Of course, it would stand to reason that they might be related."

"So...there is chance that it would be his brother or cousin or something along those lines?" Suguha questioned.

"Correct. Although, there are still other factors to consider and we don't possess enough evidence to follow through with our current theory."

"Still, though..." Shino tilted her head, a hand at her chin. "Why was he fighting Ripper?"

"That is the question that still stumps us, Asada-san." Kuroiwa shook his head in mild confusion. "However, based on what you confirmed for me about Laughing coffin, there is a possibility that he went after Ripper for revenge of some sort, or to prove his strength superior."

"Revenge..." Asuna muttered, staring at her hands. 'Bushido... So then, that's the name of the Ghoul who fought Ripper.' she thought, a look of fierce determination crossing across her face. 'A black blade with black wings...'

'Kirito-kun...'

XXXXXXXXXX

"Oi, Kaneki!"

Said boy blinked in confusion, turning from booth where he was taking orders to see someone walk into the cafe. His eyes widened in recognition. "H-Hide?!"

"Holy crap, Tanashi was right!" the boy called Hide exclaimed. "You really are working here! And hot damn!" a grin formed on his face. "You gotta start doing this butler thing more often. If a girl saw you in this, she'd be head over heels!" He grinned as he turned to the person next to him. "Right, Nishiki-senpai?"

Kaneki's face paled when he saw who was with his friend. It was the person who attacked him the other day... Nishiki, Touka said his name was.

"Well, I won't deny that fact. He can actually pull off a waiter uniform." The glasses wearing young man shrugged. He didn't seem at all like the guy who almost killed him last night.

"U-um..." Kaneki stammered, nervous sweat pouring down his face 'Oh no... What do I do?' he thought inwardly. 'He's a Ghoul, just like Touka-san and Yoshimura-san and the others! B-but, he's right here in a public place, so he shouldn't cause too much trouble... right?'

"Hey, kid."

"Y-yes?!"

"Relax, I'm not gonna eat you." 'Yet.' Kaneki thought, still anxious as to why the Ghoul who attacked him was here with his best friend. "You're name's Kaneki, right?" The teen nodded. "I'm Nishiki. Nishiki Nishio. Nice to meet you."

"Er... r-right." he tried to pull off a smile, though it was a poor, shaky one at best "N-nice to meet you as well."

"Hey, Kaneki!" Kirito called out as he came up from behind, carrying a tray with several cups of coffee. "You gonna help me out or what?" he asked before he saw the two newcomers of the shop. "Oh, hello. Welcome to... Nishiki?" the boy blinked. "What in the heck are you doing here?"

The glasses-wearing man blinked as well. "...I should be the one to ask you that."

"Huh? You know each other Nishiki-sempai?" Hide asked with a raised eyebrow. Keneki was just as surprised. How does Kirito know the same Ghoul that almost killed him? Then again, he faintly recalled Nishiki questioning him that he knew Kirigaya last night.

"I should, considering this moron keeps asking me for advice when it comes to the more hardcore software." the Ghoul answered, pushing up his glasses. "Still, didn't think I'd see you working here."

"Yeah, well..." the black-haired boy chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Lots of stuff happened, ya know? Anyway, find yourselves a seat, and I'll take your order."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Hey, Kaneki." Hide turned to his friend, smiling. "Let's talk when your off work, alright?"

The eyepatch-wearing teen smiled back, nodding. "Mm!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Takeshi had to admit, he never did get tired of this feeling. Currently, he was sitting atop the ledge of a nearby building, dressed in his Phantom garb, and his mask covering the upper half of his face. A cocky smirk was plastered all over his lips, staring at his target. Like the previous ones, it was yet again another corrupted piece of filth, a lawyer of all things living a life of luxury, made from rigged trials and falsified evidence that led to innocent people being imprisoned, their futures taken from them.

Today, the world would see him for what he was.

"Well well, this is quite the find." Takeshi's eyes narrowed, slowly moving to the corner as he turned his head slightly. He hadn't noticed them creeping up from behind. They were far from your average Investigators. "I didn't think we'd run into the elusive Phantom. It seems you've got yourself quite the nose, Amon-kun."

"I just did what you told me to, Madou-san." The other Investigator responded. "Trust my instincts."

The Phantom whipped around to face the newcomers. They were very skilled to avoid his detection. One of them was an elderly man, around his fifties or sixties with thin, shaggy white hair and dark eyes. one of his eyes was opened much wider than the other. He was hunched over slightly wearing a dark gray suit and light gray trench coat and white gloves. His partner was a man of a much larger build. He was taller than the other investigator, as well as possessing more muscle mass. His hair was short and black and his face was set in a grim expression. He wore similar clothing to his partner, but had a silver cross in front of his necktie.

"Oh? Am I dreaming?" Takeshi chuckled as he leaped up to his feet. "Or do I have the pleasure of meeting the infamous pair Kureo Mado and Koutarou Amon?"

"So you know about us." Mado chuckled. "How curious."

"Hard not to, with you being practically an oddball team." the thief shrugged his shoulders, his smirk still plastered on his face. "The Quinque Freak and the Justice Freak. That's a strange pair-up if I've ever seen one."

Amon did not look the least bit insulted, and instead opened his case. Dojima fell into his grasp, a crimson cylinder placed atop a steel pole. "Phantom, you are hereby under arrest."

"Gee, where have I heard THAT one before?" Takeshi laughed. "As fun as being inside Cochlea sounds... I've got people to see, places to be, and things to steal."

"Then I apologize to interrupt you on your heist..." Mado opened up his own case. His Quinque was a katar-like weapon with three green blades that are combined. "...Phantom!"

"I guess I have no choice..." His eyes sharpened as his body tensed up.

His arched his back forward, allowing smokey black wings to sprout from his shoulderblades. They spread out, forming into black, ebon feathers. His eye darkened into black and red. "I better make this quick," he said confidently. "If I don't wrap this up in a minute, that lawyer's gonna be moving out."

Amon took the initiative, charging forward with his club reared back. "If you want to play thief!" he shouted. "Then do it as a human being rather than a fucking Ghoul!" He swung, and the infamous thief jumped up, his body twirling like a master acrobat. Amon scowled, seeing his signature smirk.

"Hate to break it to ya, but I'm not your average Ghoul, boyo." With another twirl, he brought his leg down on Amon's shoulder. The man growled, feeling as if his bones were being smashed to bits in his arm before he shrugged off the attack, leaving Takeshi to leap back to the ground. "Looks like the stories of your endurance weren't exaggerations after all."

"Oi! Don't forget about me, Phantom!" Kureo leapt up from behind, his swinging his Quinque around madly.

Takeshi spun around and shot out a few crystallized feathers to keep the man at bay.

Unfortunately, despite his obvious old age, Mado proved be rather spry, his wrinkled body easily avoiding them and smashing them away before resuming his assault. Takeshi crystalized his wings to block them, and bounced away, leaping off all the way to the edge. "Not bad for an old man." he praised his enemy. "Although, as fun as fighting you two is... I'm afraid I'll have to cut this meeting short."

"And what makes you think we'll let you?" Amon growled.

Takeshi merely gave him a condescending grin. "You're blind, Investigator. You're in the wrong line of work. Great thieves are artists who create masterpieces by stealing from the filthy rich. And as for guys like you and the authorities, as well as the rest of humans?" The man's grin grew. "You're all slaves to society."

"And what about prison?" Mado asked curiously. His answer?

"What about it?"

And the Phantom allowed his body to fall.

"Damn!" Both Amon and Mado rushed over to the edge of the building. But they were too late, the Phantom was already plummeting down the side of the building. He spread his ebony wings and caught the updraft of air.

"Adios!" Takeshi stuck out his tongue at them, giving a playful wink before bouncing off the wall of the building, causing him to be sent forward. His target was right there in plain sight: a window leading directly into the lawyer's office.

His body went straight into the glasses, causing it to shatter.

Amon cursed. "We have him..."

"No, unfortunately, we didn't." Mado shook his head. "He wasn't made into an SSS-Class for nothing. Still, quite a curious Ghoul, that one. Not even ten seconds, and he runs away. Although, thieves do run with their tails between their legs when things get rough."

Amon still looked frustrated, tending to his shoulder. 'Mado-san was right. He became an SSS-Class Ghoul by consuming other Ghouls, and just like Shi, he refrains from eating humans. Instead, he targets corrupted political figures... but for what reason?'

The more he learns of the exploits of ghouls like Phantom and Shi, the more the question plagues him. Just why are they doing things like this? It's almost as if there were some ghouls who refrain from harming human life.

Ever since he was spared from the Ghoul he once called father, he had always wondered why he was the only one to live? Was it based on a whim, or for the Ghoul's sick amusement?

Then again, he couldn't compare all Ghouls to that man... But he knew one thing for absolute:

Ghouls were monsters in human skin... and there was no denying that fact.

XXXXXXXXXX

"My name is Asuna Yuki." the girl bowed deeply, her hands folded in front of her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Arima-san."

"The pleasure is mine, Yuuki-san." The white haired man nodded. "I look forward to working with you."

If you were to ask what Asuna's first impression of Arima was, it would pragmatic. The man was like a ghost, bearing almost no presence at all, yet at the same time, a wave of calm and cool. His eyes showed no emotion, and his face remained passive. It was like he was born with a poker face for nearly all of his life.

"Now then." Arima stated as he turned on his heel, Asuna following him. "As much as I would like to show you the ropes, I'm afraid we have little time for that. Tell me, Yuki-san, have you ever heard of Aogiri Tree?"

The girl shook her head. "No, I have not."

"Aogiri is a Ghoul Organization, and a very large one. To be honest, even we do not know the exact number, other than that several of their key members are ranked in the S-ratings."

Asuna was taken aback. This organization had THAT many powerful Ghouls? And there was to account for the many grunt units. "Just...how powerful is this organization?"

"Very." Arima answered. "We have been at war with this group for a long time. Ever since it's formation almost ten years ago."

"Do you know who their leader is?"

"Yes, an individual known as the One-Eyed King."

Asuna frowned. "One-Eye...?" She was confused with the term. Arima caught this and proceeded to explain.

"Theoretically, it's possible for a hybrid between humans and Ghouls to be born between a union of human and Ghoul. From the stories on the street, half-Ghouls possess only a single Kakugan, hence the name One-Eyed Ghoul. The One-Eyed King, as well as the One-Eyed Owl and the One-Eyed Dragon are rumored to be half-Ghouls as well. The One-Eyed Owl hasn't been seen in nearly ten years, and the One-Eyed Dragon is said to be the One-Eyed King's right hand man. We still don't know where their base is, unfortunately."

"I see..." the girl nodded. "By the way... Arima-san?"

"Yes, Yuuki?"

"Why exactly did you decide to take me on as your partner? I mean, from what I've been told, you're easily the strongest Investigator in all of CCG, and I'm just barely starting out, so..."

"...Well...if you want the truth...It's because you remind me of myself." The Reaper of CCG answered.

"How do I remind you of you?" Asuna questioned.

"It's because you have a reason to fight, even at a young age. When I was young, I didn't know what path to take in life. However, one day, I finally found a reason to live."

"R-really?" the one known as The Flash of SAO said, surprised. She truly hadn't expected that from her superior. "Wh-what was your reason?"

"Back when I was your age, I once met a Ghoul that killed human delinquents. She had lived the life of a school girl, living the life we humans have the opportunity to live, but because she was a Ghoul, she had no choice but to eat other humans to survive. Because of that, she grew to regret that she was born a Ghoul. She also thought that humans who wasted away their opportunities to live a normal life didn't deserve to live." Arima pushed up his glasses. "When I cornered her, she once asked me if it was possible for Ghouls and humans to live together. That is the reason why I live... to find that answer for her."

"Ghouls and humans...together...?" That thought never crossed her mind. Ever since hearing the news the other night, she gained a burning hatred for Ghouls for what they did to her Kirito. That was why she and her friends joined CCG in the first place. However, after listening to a story like that...she didn't know what to think.

"I understand that you lost someone precious to you at the hands of a Ghoul." Arima said, turning to her. "I will not tell you to try to understand Ghouls... but neither will I tell you to abandon your hatred for them. Keep moving forward, your head held high, and your blade at the ready. Otherwise, you shall never advance forward into the future."

The future...She didn't think she had much of a future anymore. The only future that she wanted was one with Kirito...however, with him gone...She didn't know how to truly live anymore. But she took her partner's words to heart and slowly nodded. Even if Kirito was gone...and she would no longer have her favored future...she could at least honor his memory.

With that, she nodded. "Yes, sir!"

Arima smiled. "Well then..."

XXXXXXXXXX

"H-here you go." Kaneki stuttered as he handed Hide and Nishiki their orders. "One black coffee and one latte, right?"

"Hoohoo, sweet!" Hide grinned, taking the cup from his friend and immediately taking a sip. "Aaaah! I can tell Touka-chan made this! Heehee, I think I'm in love!"

The eyepatch-wearing boy sweatdropped. 'You wouldn't say that if you knew how she really was.'

"Tch..." Nishiki cringed, immediately recoiling after taking a sip from his latte. "Jesus, it's spicy! The hell's in this?!"

"That would be Kirigaya-san." Kaneki told him. "I don't know why, but he always makes it so spicy. Touka said it felt like her mouth was melting."

"Well, no shitty wonder."

"I'm telling you, it still tastes mild to me." Kirito stated as he walked passed the table.

"Seriously? I call bullshit! Your taste buds must've gone dead!" Nishiki snapped.

"They haven't. I just like spicy foods, but now matter how much spice I add, it still tastes the same."

"C'mon, you're exaggerating!" Hide chuckled. "It can't be THAT hot."

"Oh yeah! You try it then!"

Hide raised an eyebrow, and took the cup from Nishiki. He took one sip and-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

Hide dropped the cup onto the table and rushed to the restroom. His tongue was red, blistered, and swollen. One could actually see flames and smoke billowing from his mouth as he ran past.

"…You see what I mean?"

"I just don't get it." Kirito scratched his head. "If it's THAT hot, then i should be able to taste it. Why can't I?" He seemed a little depressed he couldn't taste anything spicy anymore.

Nishiki sighed, shaking his head. "How in the hell did Yuki fall for you, I have no idea."

"Hey!"

"Yuki?" Kaneki tilted his head. Kirito was then reminded that he hadn't explained his life to Kaneki.

"Oh, yeah, I never told you. I have a girlfriend named Asuna, who's also an SAO Survivor like me."

"And let's not forget she's also your in-game wife." Nishiki pointed out. "So... you two know each other?"

"Hai. Me and Kaneki met back at the hospital."

"Hospital? ...Wait, don't tell me you got caught up in what happened?!" Nishiki's eyes widened in panic and shock. Other than Kimi, Kirito had been the only other human he actually liked. "How the hell did you make it out of there?!

"I was lucky." Kirito's expression turned grim. "The guy attacking me was pretty cocky for his own good, giving me a chance to drop a whole load of steel girders on him. He didn't even notice I was luring him into a trap before it was too late."

'He actually beat Bushido?!' Nishiki thought in shock. However, it was soon replaced with a sheepish smirk. 'Of course he did... bastard's got the devil's luck. Still, that doesn't explain why he smells differently now... Actually, he smells like the brat over there.' Then, a thought passed him, and his eyes widened.

"H-hold you... are you guys... friends?"

"Yeah." Kirito placed a friendly hand on the eye patch wearing teen's shoulder. "He was also caught up in the accident on the other side of the site. But he was lucky like I was. We grew to be friends a little after that. You wouldn't believe how many horror stories he got me hooked on."

Kaneki blushed heavily, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "A-all I did was recommend a horror novel."

"Yeah, but it was a damn good one! Also, that cliffhanger made me want more! PLEASE tell me there's a sequel!"

Nishiki tuned them out, groaning in frustration as he ran his hand through his hair. He had totally screwed up big time. At first, he thought Kaneki was just some Ghoul that was trying to tresspass on his territory. In fact, he was actually contemplating the idea of killing him by trying to lure Hideoshi to a secluded area. It seemed like the two were friends, so that was the best option.

But after learning that Kirigaya and Kaneki were friends, he realized just how badly he screwed up. 'Son of a bitch...'

He knew that he potentially lost one of the few human friends he had. All because he so damn stubborn! He couldn't believe he was saying this, but shitty Touka was right on one thing: He could be such an idiot.

He really needed to think of a way to fix this.

"Well, I gotta get back to work." Kirito said. "Otherwise, Dobe-Shima's gonna have my head on a platter."

"Try not to get killed?" Kaneki joked as the boy left. Once he did, he turned to Nishiki. "Will that be all?"

"H-huh?" the man blinked, returning to reality. "O-oh, yeah... Hey, kid, about what happened the other day..."

"A-about that..." kaneki fidgeted. "Um... I'm really sorry!"

He bowed his head deeply, earning a look of shock from Nishiki.

"If-if I known that was where you hunted, I-I would have stayed out! I-I'm really sorry! Please forgive me!"

He...definitely wasn't expecting this. He thought Kaneki would get all apprehensive about what happened and hate him for what he nearly did. But now he's...apologizing? He should be the one to do so. After all, he nearly killed him.

"...It's fine..." Nishiki waved his hand in reassurance. "If anything...I should be the one saying sorry for nearly killing ya."

"B-but...!"

"It's fine, seriously." he told him. "If I had known you were friends with that moron, I wouldn't have tried to kill you. Although... why is it you two have the exact same smell?"

"That's... kind of hard to explain..."

XXXXXXXXXX

Raijuu had to admit, he couldn't exactly recall the last time Aogiri was holding such a large meeting before.

Pretty much everyone was in attendance: The Bin Brothers, Nico, Yamori, Naki, Ayato, Noro, Tatara, and many other key members of the organization. If pretty much everyone was present, then the issue must be really big.

"I can't remember the last time we were all called in." Nico giggled. "Although, I wonder why the King isn't here?"

"Unfortunately, his Majesty had other important business to attend to." Raijuu explained, smiling slightly. "First of all, thank you everyone for coming. I trust I do not need to explain why His Majesty has called everyone?"

Yamori was the first to speak up, shaking his head. "Of course not, Raijuu-sama." he said with the utmost respect. Normally, such a sight would be confounding if they did not know his ideals. To him, the strong rule over the weak... and Raijuu was the strongest of them all, not simply because he was the One-Eyed King's right hand man, but because he was truly powerful.

He had been given the pleasure of witnessing the normally calm, composed, and kind One-Eyed Ghoul go on a rampage once before a long time ago, back when he was first introduced into Aogiri Tree... and the sight was burned into his memory.

To say that it was a rampage was an understatement. It was more like a reckoning of a berserker from the depths of hell. No human or Ghoul that opposed him was spared. With outstanding power and spine-chilling ruthlessness, he crushed his foes as if they were no more than ants to him. It was a marvelous sight. Yamori had witnessed the might of the strongest Ghoul, second only to the King

It was then and there that he swore allegiance the Aogiri, revering the power of the Dragon.

"Raijuu." Tatara nodded "We have all been informed."

"Good." the young Ghoul smiled again. "Then, let us get down to business. The CCG has currently been on the move lately, and in more ways than one. Already, the 6th and 11th Wards are quickly becoming reinforced, and foreign Investigators are being called in. It appears they've been made aware of our current operations, but I doubt that will stop us."

"Of course it won't." Ayato snorted. "They'll be slaughtered like the rest of those arrogant pigs."

"Colorfully put, Ayato-kun." Raijuu commented. "But indeed, they will not be spared. Now, regarding Bushido and Rize..." he turned to Tatara, who nodded.

"Yes. Kamishiro's death was orchastrated by the Clowns, as you and the King have suspected. However, there was an unexpected... bystander."

"Oh?"

"It appears that Kamishiro was in the middle of devouring a human before she died. And that very same human was given her Kakuho."

"I see..." Raijuu nodded, a curious smile appearing on his face. "It appears Mr. Kanou has decided to start experimenting. Did anyone else receive a transplant?"

"Hai. Another human was about to be killed by Bushido, but somehow managed to catch him by surprise and killed him... albeit ironically in the same manner as Kamishiro."

"Is that so..." Raijuu scratched his chin in interest. "So Bushido wasn't killed by the Clowns as well, but by the hands of his human target?"

"That is correct." Tatara nodded. "I will admit this...that human was rather crafty to catch a Ghoul like Bushido off guard like that."

"Do you know the human's name?"

"Kazuto Kirigaya. He was the one who defeated Akihiko Kayaba in the death game he constructed, Sword Art Online, as well as one of the champions of GGO's Bullet of Bullets. During Sword Art Online, he was a well-known player, arguably the strongest of them all, despite being a solo. He also earned a reputation as the Black Swordsman, and also a Beater, players who were despised for being Beta-Testers for the game, as well as those who knew how the game worked."

"Well, isn't that ironic." one of the Bin Brothers scoffed. "That bastard thought he was the best swordsman out of all of us, and yet he gets killed by a swordsman from a game? Talk about pathetic!"

"I would advise you refrain from speaking out of turn." Raijuu warned, his tone still polite... but carrying a familiar, deadly edge. "It's rather rude."

"A-apologize, Raijuu-sama."

"Apology accepted...just remember to watch your manners next time." The One eyed ghoul smiled. However, it was a smile that promised death if he made another mistake.

"H-hai!" The Ghoul immediately quieted down, feeling as if he narrowly escaped death.

"Still...Kazuto Kirigaya huh...?" Raijuu mused, interested by this revelation.

"And what of the other human?" Yamori asked. "The one Kamishiro tried to eat?"

"Ken Kaneki, a college student attending Kamii University." Tatara answered. "He also appears to be working at that small coffee shop in the 20th Ward, Anteiku."

Raijuu was now intrigued. "Is that so..." he smiled slyly. "Hm, curious... Perhaps I should go pay Kuzen a visit."

"Is that all?" Nico asked. Raijuu shook his head. "No, there is still one other matter to discuss."

Then, his voice suddenly became cold. It affected everyone differently.

For Nico, Yamori, and Naki, they kept straight faces, but trembled for a brief second. For Ayato and the Bin brothers, they involuntarily flinched as they broke out into a cold sweat. Tatara and Noro were the calmest of them all.

"It's regarding those annoying little pests... V."

Everyone then grew on edge. It wasn't a secret that Raijuu detested V with a passion. They did not know why, but they never questioned him on it.

"They've started to become a thorn in our side." Raijuu spoke, his smile all but gone. "In addition, they've begun to meddle in our affairs. Noro, Tatara, and Yamori will deal with them."

"Understood, Raijuu-sama." Yamori nodded. "Where do we find them?"

"V is a rather elusive bunch, especially since they are always moving around. Luckily, we managed to find one of their little nests. You'll find it in the 3rd Ward. Just do be careful. The last thing we need is to arouse CCG's suspicions."

"Yes, Raijuu-sama." Yamori nodded. Normally, he would've let loose and had fun on this assignment. But since it was Raijuu's orders, he would restrain himself for the success of the mission.

"Ayato, you will deal with any stragglers... Feel free to bring anyone you want." the One-Eyed Dragon told him. "...And don't leave a single one of them alive."

"Yes, Raijuu-sama!" The young Ghoul nodded while mentally grinning. He was finally given a chance to let loose and test himself in real combat.

No one in the room seemed to notice the demented grin on Nico's face at all. It would be vastly disturbing to any that saw that face on the seemingly homosexual man. The reason why he had such a smile was because he was already thinking about the carnage that was about to take place.

'Yes, absolutely splendid!' he thought in absolute glee. 'Not only is he planning on actually starting a full-scale war with V, there won't even be a single person left alive by the time he's done! Hahahaha! Oh, the boss was right about you, Rai-kun! So much hate! So much want for destruction!'

Truly, he was simply glad to have entered Aogiri at this time. Things were going to get interesting from here on out.

XXXXXXXXXX

Yoshitoki Wasshu looked at the report he was handed. For a moment, his expression was unreadable. Then, a small smile appeared on his face. "I see our illustrious thief is at it again."

This was the 28th time that the Phantom had gotten away from the Investigators. Not only had he escaped from Kureo Mado and Koutarou Amon, but infiltrated his target's household, and made off with numerous pieces of evidence that highlighted the lawyer's corrupt dealing, which were soon turned in to the police, and led to the man's arrest and punishment for his crimes.

"I don't know whether to feel glad someone is getting rid of scum like this.." Marude said. "Or confused that it's a Ghoul doing it."

"Personally, I find him to be rather amusing... don't you?"

"I'll admit that his actions are admirable, but it's still confusing as to why a Ghoul would even do such things."

"Some Ghouls are more human than you think, Marude." Yoshitoki said, placing the papers down on his desk. "Now, regarding Aogiri's recent movements..."

"Yes, sir." the man nodded, his posture straightening up to the rigid form of an arrow. "We've made the appropriate arrangements, and have begun calling for reinforcements from the other branches. We've also amplified defenses in Wards 6 and 11. There's also been some suspicious Ghoul activity in the 3rd Ward as well."

"In the 3rd ward? What kind?" The Chairman of CCG questioned.

There have been rumors of another gathering of Ghouls moving about.

"Do we have any idea of what sort of gathering?" the Chairman of the CCG asked, leaning forward on his hands.

Sadly, Marude shook his head. "No, unfortunately not. All we know is that Aogiri is gearing up, but from the look of things... it isn't to attack the branch there."

"So their targets are this group of Ghouls there?"

"That is the most likely outcome."

"Hm..." the man frowned deeply. "Are they taking out a rival faction? No, they're easily the biggest Ghoul Organization, and they have several S-Rated members..." He looked at Marude. "Keep an eye on the situation in the 3rd Ward."

"Yes sir." the Special Investigator nodded before bowing and leaving the room. Yoshitoki's remained alone...occupied by his thoughts.

'To be on the offensive so early, and attacking a Ward so close to our Headquarters...' he thought, closing his eyes. 'What are you thinking... One-Eyed King?'

XXXXXXXXXX

"...So, let me get this straight." Nishiki said, his face passive as he pushed up his glasses. "You went on a date with Rize 'fucking' Kamishiro, nearly got eaten, woke up in a hospital afterwards, and then found out you have one of her organs stuffed inside of you?"

Kaneki nodded.

"Same thing with Kirigaya?"

"Er, y-yes, I think so... He said he and Asuna-san were being chased by a Ghoul called Bushido."

Nishiki was silent. For a while, you couldn't tell what he was thinking. Then, he groaned in frustration, shaking his head in his hands. "Un-fucking-believable..." he muttered. "Just how much trouble can you two shitheads get into? The Binge Eater, I get, but fucking BUSHIDO?!"

"Um... what kind of person is Bushido?"

"If I were to sum it up...he's dangerous. Unlike Kamishiro, Bushido is a Chimera-type, possessing two types of Kagune at once. He has the heavy, strength oriented Kokaku with the speed and ranged capabilities of an Ukaku user. His attacks are powerful and quick, he also tends to toy with his prey before eating them...He is one of the ghouls I choose not to cross."

Kaneki's face paled, unable to believe what he had just heard. All of a sudden, he felt glad that it was Kirigaya who got the short end of the stick, even though he knew he would be alright... if only barely. "H-he's that dangerous?"

"Well, he used to be..." Nishiki smirked. "Until Kirigaya dumped steel girders on his ass."

"But...what happens to Kirito now? I mean...he has Bushido's organs transplanted into him now." Kaneki was worried for his friend, worried that something may happen due to his current condition and who the organ donor was.

"He's just like you and me now, kid." the man told him simply. "From now on, he can't eat human food. I'd imagine that's what sucks for him, considering he was in love with Yuuki's cooking. Although, given that Bushido was all speed and chopping people up, I think that suits him, given he prefers going straight in and cutting the bastards before they know what hit them."

"So you mean to say that he would actually get more out of it due to his experience as the Black Swordsman in SAO?"

"That's exactly that. Bushido had a Koukaku and an Ukaku. Koukaku's are pretty much heavy duty hitters, but given time, damn thing gets heavy. Ukakus are fast and agile, but they run out of gas pretty quick." Nishiki explained. "Then there's me, a Bikaku. We're pretty much all-rounders, and don't really have a downside, or an upside. Then there's guys like you and Kamishiro, a Rinkaku. You can overwhelm an enemy with vicious attacks, but their pretty brittle, so they break easily."

"Ah..." the boy hummed in understand, filing away the information for later. "That does sound like Kirigaya-san."

"Ain't that the truth?" Nishiki snorted in agreement.

"Ara?" A familiar mess of green hair popped up from the booth behind them, a curious smile on it's face. "Whatcha guys talking about?"

"Oh, Takatsuki-san!"

"Mou~ Kaneki-kuuun..." Eto pouted childishly. "I told you! Call me Eto!"

"Ah, gomen..." Kaneki rubbed the back of head sheepishly. He kept forgetting that. He was still caught up on the fact that his favorite author was part of Anteiku.

"And just what are you doing here?" Nishiki questioned Eto.

"Mou...why are you so mean Nishiki-kun?"

"It's not being mean, I'm stating a fact here, birdbrain." the man said. "Shouldn't you be signing books?"

"Hey!" the female One-Eyed Ghoul retorted. "I'm not a bird brain! And for your information, I don't have to do that until next week!" She stuck out her tongue childishly, making Nishiki shake his head at her antics. He knew full well who she was, and he still couldn't believe that someone as childish as her, who was already in her twenties, had the mentality of a child.

"Eh? You know Eto-san, Nishiki-san?" Kaneki questioned.

"Yes...unfortunately..." The man sighed.

"What do you mean, unfortunately?!" Eto slammed her foot down childishly.

"Just what I mean! Do you NOT remember what you did when we first met?!" he barked at her, still able to vividly recall what had happened. It had been back when he was younger... and even stupider.

He thought she was another Ghoul that invaded his feeding grounds. Even worse, he thought she was just a snot-nosed kid who poked in other people's business. Upset, he tried to kill her off...but later discovered that the task wouldn't be possible.

It was at that point in time he learned the true strength of a One-Eyed Ghoul could possess.

Ever since, whenever she brought her Kagune, or god forbid, even her Kakugan, Nishiki would bolt it right out of there like a bat straight out of hell.

"Hey, I said I was sorry." Eto shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, technically speaking, it WAS your fault for trying to attack me."

"Damn brat..."

"Man, you guys are getting lively." Kirito chuckled as he and Touka came over. "What are you talking about?"

"Just Nishiki talking about when he first met Eto."

Touka smirked darkly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh, remember when you got your ass kicked?" she taunted, earning the desired results.

"Fuck off, Shitty Touka."

"No thanks. Besides, you couldn't PAY me to fuck your ugly mug."

"Why you little...!"

"Whoa, hey now..." Kirito got between the two, not wanting them to get involved in a fight, especially not when it was so close to closing time. "No fighting... not until we're closed. Then you two can beat the shit out of each other."

"K-Kirigaya-san!" Kaneki nearly spat out his coffee, staring at the gamer in shock. Was he seriously gonna let these two have at it when no one was around?! "I-I don't mean to sound rude, b-but wouldn't Yoshimura-san get mad if they caused trouble?!"

"Tch, like Kuro-Baka here needs to tell me what to do!" Touka harumphed. This time, she earned another desired result.

"Oh, well excuse me from trying to keep you two from screwing up, Dobe-Shima!"

A tick mark appeared on her forehead. "Oi! Stop calling me that!"

"Oh? And pray tell why should I? I thought people were free to speak their mind!"

"Keep your damn mouth shut, otaku!"

"Whatever floats your boat, WASHBOARD!"

"WHAT?!"

Nishiki and Eto grinned. "Shots fired." they said in unison.

In a matter of seconds, everything turned into a full blown argument between the raven haired and blue haired teens. The customers in the shop couldn't help but turn their attention toward the loud banter.

It was around that time when Hide finally emerged from the bathroom, tending to a slightly burnt tongue. "Haaaah..." he whimpered. "My pooh tohgue..."

"Are you okay, Hide?" Kaneki asked in concern. "Do you want me to get you some water?"

The blonde nodded.

The eye patched wearing teen quickly went to the back in order to get a glass. Meanwhile, the blonde's focus was trained onto the arguing duo before him.

"Eh... whash going on?" he slurred, unable to talk properly due to his tongue being burnt.

"Right now?" Nishiki chuckled. "A fight between a pissant and a gamer."

Eto nodded for confirmation. Already sparks were flying between them, and it seemed like they were about to go at it. Yoshimura sighed, shaking his head, seeing as how this was almost a daily occurence whenever one threw an insult at the other. However, just as he was about to intervene, the door leading to the cafe opened, signaled by the chiming of a bell.

"Pardon, but are you still open?" a kind, aristocratic voiced asked once the door closed. Yoshimura turned to the newcomer, and instantly, a smile spread across his face.

"Yes, we are."

The two Ghouls briefly stopped fighting, and turned to see the new customer. Eto seemed to recognize him pretty quickly, as her eyes lit up with joy. "Ooh, Rai-kun!"

The young man smiled gently as the green-haired author tackled him into a hug, returning it with one of his own. "It's been a while, Eto-chan."

"Hehe...It's so good to see you again!" Eto rubbed her cheek on his chest as he towered over her. "If only Takeshi-kun were here, then the whole family would be back together!"

"That is true...And I guess he's still doing what he does best, huh?" Raijuu responded, hinting at the news stories.

"Yup~!"

Raijuu sighed, but the smile on his face didn't fade in the least. "I swear... One of these days, he'll end up in Cochlea, and then I'll have to bust him out... Such a troublesome little brother he is."

"Now now Rai-kun. You know Takeshi-kun is too good to get caught." Eto chirped.

"True, but it is technically my job to worry about him."

"And that is a good trait to have as the elder brother, Raijuu-kun." Yoshimura greeted the man with a smile.

Raijuu gave a smile of his own. "It's good to see you again, Yoshumura-san."

"Ano..." Kaneki tilted his head in confusion. "Is he the person Takeshi-san and Eto-san were talking about earlier?"

"Hai, hai!" said Ghoul grinned, displaying her brother figure. "This is Raijuu!"

He bowed politely. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

"It's nice to meet you as well." Kaneki bowed respectfully. Kirito finally broke away from his argument to greet the newcomer.

Instantly, Kirito felt the man's eyes on her. For a moment, he felt himself frozen in place, unable to move. Raijuu's eyes were locked on him, staring deep into his own eyes. It felt as if he were looking straight into his soul, judging him, studying him... search him.

Then, as quickly as the feeling came, it vanished, with him smiling again. "Ah, you must be Kirigaya-san, correct?" he asked, smiling as he held his hand out in greeting. "My name is Raijuu, a friend of Eto's from childhood... It's nice to meet you."

"S-same here..." Kirito covered up his brief stutter and accepted the hand. He noticed that Raijuu had a strong, firm grip. Raijuu noticed the same of the raven haired teen. The Beater held brief suspicions if the ghoul, but quickly shook them off. After all, he was probably sizing him up as a person.

"Anyway, what are you doing here, Rai-kun?" Eto asked, pouting. "You didn't come to see me or Takeshi-kun at all for the last ten years! All you've been doing is sending us letters!"

He chuckled at his sister figure's reaction. "Gomen, but I've been rather... pre-occupied, as of late."

"A-ano, Raijuu-san?" Kaneki spoke up. "If you know Eto-san and Takeshi-san, then, does that mean you are also...?"

The man smiled, winking as he held up a finger to his lips. "Hai, but let's discuss the details later, ne?" he gestured to the few remaining occupants of the cafe.

"Ah, right. Sorry." Kaneki apologized.

"Nah...it's alright. Just be a bit more aware next time, Kaneki-kun." The one eyed ghoul smiled.

"Well then, Raijuu-kun." Yoshimura smiled kindly. "Where would you like to sit?"

"Unfortunately, Yoshimura-san, I'm afraid I only came to visit Eto-chan." the young man confessed, smiling apologetically. "I have to get back to work soon."

"Mou... you can't stay a little more?"

"Don't worry, I promise I'll be back when I have the time."

"You better!" she warned him, trying to act stern with her hands on her hips. "Otherwise, I'll hunt you down and drag you here myself!"

Raijuu bursted out laughing. "In that case, I better make like a jack rabbit and git, then!"

"And don't forget to see Takeshi-kun next time! He misses his bug brother!" Eto slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"Hai, hai. Tell him I said hi. I'll make it up to him the next time I drop by." with a friendly wave, he turned and left the coffee shop.

Nishiki pushed up his glasses. "So, that was Eto's brother figure, huh?" he asked. "Didn't seem like some ordinary one-eyed shmo to me."

"Yeah..." Kirito nodded. "I got the feeling he was sizing me up for some reason... What? Did he think me and Taka-chan were going out or something?"

"If you and Eto were going out, the manager would have killed you the moment you stepped into the shop." Touka pointed out to him. It was no secret that Yoshimura was very protective of his daughter. As a matter of fact, he had a list of criteria regarding what sort of person her beloved must be if he was to approve of them. She heard of the list once.

And she instantly knew that her friend's chances of ever getting a boyfriend were extremely low.

"Yeah, you might have a point." the gamer chuckled, scratching the back of his head as he turned around. "Well, time to-"

"K-Ki...rito-kun?"

Instantly, the boy stopped dead in his tracks. The voice was familiar to him, having heard it so many times before. It was shaky, both in relief and disbelief. Slowly, with dread creeping up behind him, Kirito turned around, looking past all of his co-workers, who were looking at the customers in surprise. They must have entered while Raijuu was leaving.

His eyes widened.

In front of him, on the verge of tears...

...was Klein and Silica.

_To Be Continued..._

**"We know what we are, but know not what we may be." -Shakespeare**


	6. Black Birth

**Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride, the creator of so many great stories like Persona 5: Night of the Phantom, Highschool DxD ALT, Highschool DxD: Shatter Destiny, Zero Irregularity, Highschool: Devil X Seraph, Code Geass Tokyo Ghoul, and many more. I could never have created this and my other projects without him. **

**Like, follow, favorite, and review. Thank you to all who continue to support this story. **

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 6: Black Birth**

"KIIIIIIRIIIIIIITOOOOOOOOO-SAAAAAAAAAN!"

"G-gagh! S-S-Silica...!" Kirito wheezed. "C-can't... breathe...!"

"It's you!...It's you!...It's really you!" The petite girl sobbed as she nuzzled her face into his shirt. Tears of joy streamed from her eyes, dampening, the Black Swordsman's uniform.

"S-Silica... I-I'm serious...!" the boy repeated, his voice still strained. "I-I really... can't... breathe...!"

The girl failed to listen as she tightened her hug, feeling is she let go, he would disappear again. She didn't want that to happen.

"G-Guys! Klein...! A...little...help?!" Kirito choked. He was now out of breath.

The red-haired man was still left in a state of shock, staring at Kirito with large eyes in disbelief, that ugly bandana of his drooping down slightly. Eto was giggling while Touka was smirking like the devil. Kaneki, however was the only one who looked panicked.

"K-Kirigaya-san?!" he shouted in worry. "U-Um, miss?! I-I don't mean to sound rude, but you're really gonna suffocate him to death!"

"Just let her, Kaneki." Nishiki said coldly, taking a sip of a new cup of coffee... one less spicy, compared to last time. "Idiot deserves it. I mean, what moron doesn't tell his friends he's still kicking?"

"B-But...!" Kaneki looked back to his struggling friend.

"Se...seriously...help...!" He so much as whispered with so little breath left. Silica was not relenting in the slightest. Kirito was about to faint from lack of oxygen any second now.

Finally, Klein snapped out of his daze. "K-Kirito?!" he shouted. "Silica, do you WANT to kill him?!"

"Eh?!" Almost Immediately, the girl snapped her head up in confusion. Her teary eyes took in Kirito's face, which is quickly turning to an unhealthy shade of blue, and his drooping eyelids. "A...AH! Kirito-san!" The girl let go of her hug, much to the teen's relief. He gulped many lungfuls of air gratefully like a fish back in water.

"Saved... by the Klein..." he breathed, his body falling to the wooden floor. "Thanks..."

"N-no problem man..." The Samurai grinned sheepishly. But then he quickly fell back into a shocked expression. "...by the way...WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?! WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!"

"Kind of... a long... story..."

"A-are you alright, Kirigaya-san?" Kaneki asked worriedly. "D-do you need water?"

"...Let me... get back to ya... on that..."

The raven haired teen resumed taking deep breaths to compensate for the lack of oxygen earlier. Durability of a Ghoul be damned...he was going to be choked to death by the hands of a petite teenager.

'Then again, it's always the little ones you have to watch out for...' he thought, recalling the numerous situations he found himself in when dealing with the girls in his life. 'And Silica's the most dangerous of them all...'

XXXXXXXXXX

"Haa..." Kirito breathed a sigh of relief as he gulped down the last of the water Kaneki had gotten him. "I really needed that!"

"Uh, um...!" Silica fidgeted, a mortified expression on her face. "I-I'm so sorry, Kirito-san! I-I didn't mean to...!"

"Maa, maa, it's fine." he waved her off, smiling slightly. "Nishiki was right, it was kind of my own fault for not telling you guys I was alive."

"No shit." Klein said, his face stern with anger. "What the hell man? Do you know how much shit we went through when we heard the news! Dammit man, it was NOT cool!" he nearly shouted, but kept his voice even. That did nothing to stop him from shaking in anger though. "Seriously, Kirito... What the hell?"

Kirito frowned after Klein said his piece. A part of him wanted to be a smart ass and say 'Gee...I don't know, would you try and talk to your friends with a piece of mind after learning that you was made into an artificial one-eyed Ghoul, no longer able to consume human food, and forced to eat humans for sustenance, and actually killing a member of Laughing Coffin in the very hospital you were staying at?!' But another part told him to remain rational and calm. He should've expected something like this to happen. He never did get in touch with his friends out of fear of what he had become. Guess It's time to face the music.

"...This is going to take a while."

"Well we got time."

Kirito sighed, looking at Touka. "Hey, Touka... you think you can give us a minute?"

The girl frowned at first, but then realization lit up across her face. Instantly, disbelief crossed her eyes. "What? You can't be seri-"

"PLEASE."

The girl actually backpedaled from the magnitude of his voice. She then took a moment to take in the look on his face. His eyes were narrowed and his lips set in a stern frown. It was the look of an authoritative figure. There was no room for argument in his voice. The Ghoul realized it she should just listen.

"...Fine." she scowled in resignation. "But, if this comes back to bites us in the ass, it's on your head. You got that, Kuro-baka?"

Kirito nodded, his eyes telling her that he was thankful. She simply scoffed, and walked away, joining Kaya and Koma, who were in the process of cleaning up. Kaneki had gone home for the day with Nishiki, and Eto went home ahead of them. By now, closing time was already passed, thus leaving only the three SAO Survivors to talk.

Klein frowned in confusion. "W-wait, Kirito-kun... what's going on? What exactly did you-"

"Guys," he cut his friend off. The two were surprised, hearing the desperate plea in his voice. "Please... don't hate me."

"H-hate you...? What do you mean?" Silica questioned.

"Y-yeah man! What are you talking...about..." Klein trailed off as Kirito looked at them, his eyes open.

The eye on the right was overtaken by darkness as the center became a bloody dot.

In that one instant, the moment their eyes made contact with the Kakugan, their hearts sank. Silica's eyes widened, her hands covering her mouth from horror while Klein shot up from his seat, eyes wide in shock, disbelief... and horror, like the girl beside him.

They knew a bit about Ghouls, but not much. As far as their knowledge went on Ghouls, they had demonic limbs called Kagune, enhanced strength, and strange black and red eyes called Kakugan.

And right now... their friend, the one they valued most of all, had such eyes.

Neither of the two could speak, just staring in shock. Kirito kept the eye unveiled, looking back at the two of them in melancholy, a sad smile on his face. "...When I woke up in the hospital, everything changed for me." he said, his tone quiet and pessimistic. "I couldn't eat anything at the hospital. Miso soup tasted like motor oil, tofu like solidified vomit, and the rice just stuck my tongue like paste. God, it was so horrible... I felt like I was starving, and every day, I felt like I was growing mad."

He closed his eyes as he looked back into the past. "Time passed, and there was no indication of me leaving anytime soon. I was getting hungrier with each passing day. I was growing desperate. I was starving. But then...one night...I smelled the most delicious thing ever in a long time."

He felt a scowl appear across his face. "It was blood... so much blood, it was enough to nearly make me crazy. When I went outside, though... It was like I was staring at a nightmare." His hands coiled around the glass, tightening to the point where it would start to crack from the pressure he applied. "There were corpses everywhere... so many dead bodies, it was like I was staring at the aftermath of a genocide. And in the center of it all was a Ghoul."

Kirito looked at his friends. "And it wasn't just some random Ghoul, either... It was him."

"H-him?" Klein stuttered. He was still in a state of shock. After all, finding out your friend, the one you could trust your life to, was a Ghoul? It was a wonder how he wasn't freaking out yet. Perhaps it was because that his friend was Kirito, the same person who had saved him so many times. "Who's him?"

"...The Ghoul that killed at those patients..." Kirito spoke the man's name with so much venom, so much writhing hatred that the two recoiled in fear. They had never heard Kirito sound so... angry. "...it was PoH."

The moment Kirito spoke that very name, both Silica and Klein's hearts dropped, their blood ran cold, and their faces paled.

Now the two realized the reason behind Kirito's fury. PoH...the leader of the damned PK Guild, Laughing Coffin. The Group that caused them and their friends so much grief inside the game and outside in reality. To think...that he was a Ghoul from the start?! All of this seemed surreal.

"Y-you gotta be shittin' me..." Klein finally spoke up, falling back in his chair. "You mean, all those bodies at the hospital... that was all PoH?!"

"Yeah..." Kirito nodded with narrowed eyes. WHen I first saw him, he was covered in bandages. But when he dealt the first move, he revealed his identity to me. He was definitely not like when we fought in the game. He was much faster and stronger.

He continued to tell them the events of what transpired, from beginning to end. He was hesitant when he reached the end, however. Should he tell them the truth? Or should he tell them a lie? How would they react? Would they scorn him? Would they despise him? Would they kill him?

He listened to his heart, and his own desires. These people were his friends, the people that meant the most to him. He wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, that they would still accept him.

So, he told them the truth: he killed PoH, and proceeded to devour him out of hunger.

Needless to say, Silica and Klein were shocked beyond belief. Kirito expected them to lash out, or freak out, at least something. But, true to his instincts and hopes, their reactions were different.

"...So... how did he taste?"

"...He tasted like spoiled fish intestines on the verge of rotting." Kirito grimaced. He tasted disgusting, but it was still edible.

Silica gagged, while Klein looked green in the face. "Dude... That's nasty." he commented. "How the hell could you actually EAT him if he tasted that foul?"

Kirito looked down, unsure of the answer himself. He was desperate at the time. He had not eaten for days...weeks even. His body was starving...it craved flesh and blood. When he first got a taste of the killer's blood...he wanted more. Predatory instincts he didn't even know he had took over him and led him to slaughter the Player Killer before eating him. As he did...PoH's words continued to ring in his ears and mind.

We're the same...!

"Kirito-kun?"

The raven haired teen snapped out of his brooding and blinked at his friends, who were still concerned.

"H-huh?"

"You alright?" Klein asked him. "You looked pale for a second there."

"Y-yeah...yeah I'm doing fine." Kirito waved it off. But this only made his friends even more concerned.

"Bullshit, you are." Klein said bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You look like shit."

Kirito winced. Klein really didn't like to mince words today, didn't he?

"Kirito-san..." Silica spoke with seriousness. "...Is there something you're not telling us?"

The Black Swordsman looked down.

"...Does it have something to do with PoH?" the older male of the two asked. "Listen, whatever that asshole said, don't even think he was right. I mean, sure, you're a Ghoul now, but you're still my best friend man."

"K-Klein's right!" Silica nodded strongly. "P-PoH's just one big fat liar!"

Liar...that's what he was...but then again...Kirito was no different for lying to them. His dishonesty was what got them killed in the first place!

In a way, he and PoH weren't so different. If only he had just told them the truth... if he had told them about his Level, then maybe... Everyone could have... a-and Sachi wouldn't have...!

"Hey, Kirito." The teen looked up, seeing both his friends smiling at him. "Look, I know things might hard for ya right now... But don't forget, we're gonna be right here with ya."

Silica nodded in agreement, smiling ever brightly. "Yeah, Klein-san is right! No matter what happens, Kirito-san, we'll be right here with you!"

"G-guys...!" Kirito's eyes widened from their words. He would've thought they would resent him for the blood on his hands.

"What?" the man shrugged his shoulders. "C'mon, did you think we would hate ya? We've been through Hell, and then some! Why in the heck wouldn't I trust you man?"

"That's right." SIlica nodded. "After all we've been through, there is no reason we'd hate you, Kirito-san. We know you better than that."

"You guys..."

Kirito couldn't help but smile. It was had been at times like these, the times when they had been pushed to the very brink, the times when they had been tested... the times that reminded him of Sword Art Online.

"...Thanks, you guys."

"Heh, anytime." Klein grinned. "So, how's life as a Ghoul?"

"Horrible. Everything tastes like crap..." the raven haired teen groaned, his face in his hands. "I won't even be able to eat Asuna's divine cooking anymore... It's unfair! Why must I suffer?!"

The two actually paled from this realization. It was a known fact that Asuna's cooking was said to be on par with the Gods...and no longer being able to taste it...oh the horror!

"Sucks to be you, then." the red-haired said, smirking. "I guess this means we'll get to hog all of her wonderful food!"

"SCREW YOU!" Kirito roared.

The three sat in silence for a while before they started laughing. Touka watched them interact in silence with her co-workers, cleaning a glass. Ever since Yoshimura brought in the boy, Touka didn't like him. She wasn't sure what it was about him: the fact that he was formerly a human, or the fact that he constantly grated on her nerves.

But...after watching the conversation between the three...she realized that she was not that different from any of them. They all had their skeletons in the closet...but they managed to move past that and walk forward.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Kaya said next to her, smiling at the sight. "How close they all are. It kind of reminds me of how you and Yoriko are."

Touka blinked. She never really gave that much thought, now that she thought about it. Even though Yoriko was human, and she a Ghoul, they were friends. Of course, Yoriko never knew what she really was, but for some strange reason, she knew that she probably wouldn't care about that at all.

It was a strange feeling. She tried so hard to act human around her, but from what she's seen of her friend, she feels as if she wouldn't resent her if she knew the truth.

"Then again, they were all involved in that SAO business." Koma remarked as he finished up wiping down the tables. "It's only natural when you think about it. Still, from the sound of it, this Asuna girl sounds like she could whip up a mean meal." The stylish man chuckled boisterously. "Kinda makes you wish you could eat human food, doesn't it?"

The black-haired woman nodded, giggling into her hand. "It really does."

XXXXXXXXXX

"You sure you don't want to stick around any longer?" Kirito asked as he walked them out he door. "I mean, it's been three months since we last saw each other."

"Nah, just seeing ya alive and kicking is enough for me." Klein assured him. "Hell, I can't wait to tell the others about this! Oh, man, wait till Asuna hears the-" Suddenly, he stopped, eyes widening in realization at his words before he winced. "Oh, wait... Shit, that's bad."

"A-actually, Klein..." the black-haired teen stuttered. "Do you think... you can refrain from telling Asuna I'm alive?"

"Huh? Why? Don't you want her to know that you're okay at least? She's been depressed for months man!" Klein knew the complications regarding the current...situation amongst the couple. But Asuna at least deserved to know he was okay.

"I know...but I don't think I could face her after all this."

He gestured to himself. "With all that's happened... how could I face her?" she asked. "Hell, I doubt I could even look her in the eye. So, until I can actually comes to term with all of this..."

Silica nodded, her hands clasped around her bag. "Of course!" she said. "But, you need to talk to her soon, Kirito-san!"

"Yeah...I just need more time...I just don't know how I can tell her yet." Kirito shook his head.

Klein nodded in understanding. But inside...he was dreading when that time came. He learned from Lisbeth that she and the others chose to become Ghoul Investigators to avenge Kirito and stop innocents from being killed by the predatory race. But now...

"Well, we better get going." Silica said, smiling. "It was great to see you again, Kirito-san"

Kazuto smiled back at her, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hah, sure!"

With that, the pigtailed girl was off. Klein watched her leave, a slight smile on his face. "...It's great to see her smiling again, ya know?" he said, his question directed at Kirito. "All the girls were crying their eyes out. Hell, Leafa and Sinon didn't look they could smile like they used to."

"Hah, is that right?" Kirito chuckled. "I gotta admit, I want to see them all again."

Klein smiled back... but his face became grim as he turned to face his friend. "Kirito... about the girls."

"Yeah? What's up?"

"...They decided to become Ghoul Investigators."

Kirito's face turned as white as a ghost...everyone else who heard stopped with what they were doing. Koma froze as he was in the middle of cleaning a glass. Kaya's hand stopped as she wiped down the tables. Touka dropped the stack of menus she was carrying.

"W-what?" Kirito said weakly. "W-what did... you just say?"

"Like I said earlier, they weren't the same after the incident at the hospital." Klein said, his face still grim. "We didn't see them for a while... but they're told us what they wanted to do. They wanted me and Silica to join, but I just didn't think it was worth it. How would killing a Ghoul make things any better? And Silica... I didn't want her to get involved. I mean, she's way too young! She wouldn't last a second against them!"

The Samurai was distraught. His friends were now on opposite sides. Why did this have to happen?!

"...We haven't heard from them until just recently. They told us that they have passed their exams and became full-fledged Investigators, succeeding with flying colors."

"..." Kirito did not know what to say next.

"I thought you would want to know." Klein said, holding his friend's shoulder. "Promise me you'll be careful... Seriously, Kirito."

His voice was firm, worry obvious. Kirito understood why. After all, his supposed death had brought those closest to him to those who saw Ghouls as enemies, even though he understood them better now. Ghouls... were not the monsters he thought they were.

"...I promise."

"Okay...Well...see you around. Hopefully soon." Klein nodded his head before turning to leave. He had left Kirito with a lot to chew on. His friends and sister...Asuna, Suguha, Sinon, Lisbeth, and Philia...all became Ghoul Investigators after his misfortune. His supposed death...caused them all to detest Ghouls with a passion.

"...Damn, talk about bad luck." he muttered, a scornful laugh escaping him. "And here I thought my trouble days were over."

XXXXXXXXXX

"It's been a while since I've been here in the 20th Ward."

The man, Kotaro Amon, mused as he and his partner, Kureo Mado, stepped into the vicinity.

"Hah, I know how you feel, Amon-kun." the old man chuckled. "The last time I was here on a case was ten years ago. Quite the ruckus that's being raised."

"Indeed." the masculine man nodded in agreement. "The Binge Eater, the Gourmet, and Bushido... that's three Ghouls above the B-Class Rating."

"Quite so...but that just means that there is a reason why they are gathering to this specific area." The eccentric investigator added.

"You believe so?"

"Of course."

Kureo Mado may not have been a Special Class, but rank meant little to him. He trusted in his instincts and skills, observing the facts and variables presented to him. Right now, his instincts were telling him that something interesting was happening, something that could probably lead him to a breakthrough in the case he had been obsessed with.

"Heheheh, the old man chuckled, feeling excitement tremble in his weary bones. "This is going to be an interesting journey, don't you think, Amon-kun?"

"That would be one word I would use, Mado-san." Amon replied. "We will have to keep our guard up if we want to find our targets. We are dealing with two S-Rated Ghouls, and one A-Rated."

"Hah!" Mado busted out laughing, throwing his head back. "If you ask me, Bushido should have been made into an S-Rated Ghoul. Still, at least we won't have to deal with Ripper." A sickening grin came across his face. "Remind me to have a talk with the Ghoul who ate the poor bastard."

"I will keep that in mind. I actually have something to ask him myself." Amon nodded.

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"It's whether or not he has any connection to what transpired at the hospital." Amon said, recalling the sight. "According to the new recruits, and from what Special Class Kuroiwa gathered, the Ghoul might possibly have the same Kagune as Bushido."

"Is that so?" Mado chuckled. "Interesting... Bushido is known for having both a Koukaku and an Ukaku. A deadly combination, if used correctly. "By the way, what are we calling this mysterious new player?"

"For the description the nurse gave, along with the color of his kagune, we're calling him the Black Ghoul for the moment."

"Hm...I see. A shame that he doesn't have an appropriate identity." Mado voiced.

"Maybe...but we will realize their true intentions soon enough."

"Perhaps."

XXXXXXXXXX

Shi scowled a bit as he avoided having his head lopped off, his body flipping back before landing atop the catwalk above him. "...You are as powerful as the rumors said." he said coldly, glaring at the Ghoul beneath his mask. "I would no less... Jail."

The being facing Shi could only laugh in amusement. His entire form was hidden by a heavy black cloak. The shadows made it hard to distinguish his face. Not even his height was distinguishable as the Ghoul was crouched down. But beneath the darkness that obscured him, Jail had a mad grin on his face.

"You flatter me, Reaper." the Ghoul said, calling him by his moniker. "Still, I don't have any intention of dying here. I personally want to kill you and tear you apart."

"Then that makes two of us."

Jail smirked, and leaped up. From his back came a Kagune. It clashed with the scythe, sparks flying between the two as they began to attack one another fiercely. One was trying to severely wound the other, and the other wanted to utterly destroy them. It was like a dance of death in a sense. The two fell back to the ground, only to once again try to kill each other.

Jail's Kagune came crashing down upon him, but Shi's strength was beyond that of an ordinary Ghoul, able to stand against it easily.

"Heh...I'm impressed that you were able to endure that hit...but how about this one?"

Twirling his body around, Jail's Kagune was shrugged off, only for Jail to maneuver his body around to allow it to swing and slam into Shi.

However, it was met with resistance, being deflected by a scythe. Shi knocked it away, and charged at the man. However, he moved away at the last second, using his Kagune as a boost.

As a result, Shi tore through the wall that Jail stood in front of before.

Jail whistled, his Kagune wrapped around a pipe, hanging from it with his legs crossed over one another. "Not bad..." he praised, clapping his hands. "You're physical strength is definitely beyond that of normal Ghouls. I'm impressed, Reaper!"

"I don't need compliments from you!"

The black-clad Ghoul emerged from the rubble, leaping up at Jail. His Kagune was brandished, ready to kill him. Jail merely gave a toothy grin, and loosened his grip on the pipe, allowing gravity to pull his body down. Shi's scythe swung at nothing but air, his body flying through the air before landing on another catwalk, like before.

"You have to do better than those simple tactics if you wanna kill me, Shi!" The cloaked Ghoul sneered.

The masked Ghoul said nothing, merely giving the beast an impassive glare. His Koukaku was sharped and ready to kill him, but Jail was quite annoying. He was well versed in combat, along with a lot of knowledge about his Kagune. Combine the two, and you had one dangerous Ghoul.

That was why he needed to be eliminated. A large number of Investigators had already met their end at his hand, and Shi couldn't afford any more casualties.

He had to end this now...before the monster would take any more lives.

Just before he moved, however, his ears picked up the sound of rushing footsteps. 'Twenty,' he observed from how varied the footfalls were. 'five carrying guns, ten carrying Quinques... last five carrying both.'

Jail looked off to the side, groaning. "Ugh, great..." he muttered, hearing the footsteps as well. "Doves... I guess this is where we part ways."

Shi snarled. "I'm not letting you get away, Jail."

"Well then, by all means..." Jail spread his arms out invitingly, leaving himself open. "Come and get me, HUMAN LOVER."

"Gladly!" The Ghoul named after Death rushed in with his Scythe, his intent focused on beheading the monster. Buy at the last moment, Jail ducked his head and leaned back, narrowing avoiding the edge.

"TOO SLOW!"

Shi suddenly felt his chest screaming out in agony, Jail's Kagune piercing straight into his body.

"Haha! You are pretty weak, despite your namesake, human lover." Jail sneered. "Your movements are slow and sloppy. I can take you out without even blinking and eye!"

With a shrug, he tossed Shi into the wall, his body smashing straight through it. "Well, I gotta go." he snickered. "Have fun, 'Reaper'!"

"Damn you...Jail...!" Shit spat out the word with venom in his tone. He was frustrated by the turn of events. He pulled himself up from the fallen rubble...

...only to be greeted by the sound of guns cocking.

Shi clucked his tongue when he looked around him. Everywhere he looked, he saw Investigators. Either they had Quinques released from their cases, or guns aimed at him. "...Damn."

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." the apparent leading Investigator was a middle-aged man with sunken cheeks and dark hair, a permanent scowl marring his face. "Didn't expect to see you again, Shi."

"...Special Class Investigator, Marude." the Ghoul greeted, smiling wryly beneath his mask. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"Very funny. You know very well why we're here." The Investigator frowned. "You will be coming with us. There is a nice cell in Cochlea with your name on it."

Shi chuckled. "We both know the only way I'm being tossed in a cell is if you rip off both my arms." he told them, brandishing his Kagune.

"Heh," Marude smirked. "I wouldn't have it any other way... Reaper."

As if on cue, the Investigators carrying firearms opened fired at the Ghoul.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Shit, I'm so fucking hungry...!"

A shabby-looking ghoul growled. He seemed to be in his thirties with unkempt dark hair and quite a bit of stubble on his chin. His clothes were dirty and slightly tattered, as if he had been out on the streets for quite some time. His body was twitching from the hunger. His eyes darted around the area in anxiety.

"Where the hell did those brats go?!" the Ghoul growled. "I thought they went this way! Tch, shit!"

His body was aching, and his stomach was growling. It was close to three months since he had a meal, and right now, he was close to going crazy. He wanted to eat something, he didn't care who they were. A child, a woman, a fat bastard, anything would do! When those two humans showed up, the school girl and the man with the ugly bandana, he thought he finally found a meal.

Sadly, he lost sight of them.

It irked him to no end. It was like God was deliberately toying with him by offering a meal but then taking it away. He didn't care who...he just wanted a human to eat! Is that too much to ask?!

"Dammit! Why is it so hard to find food?!"

As if answering his question, he stopped in his tracks, his nose twitching madly. He whirled around, seeing a man with pale hair and an aged face walking through the alleyway, dressed in a long trench coat, carrying a case.

The Ghoul grinned. 'Finally!' he cheered, his Kakugan flashing. "I don't care if it's an old man! I'm STARVING!"

"Oho...Who would've thought a Ghoul would appear right in front of me." The man held his briefcase to the side before clicking the switch on the handle. "...Must be my lucky day."

Sadly, the Ghoul never noticed who he was dealing with until it was too late. In mid-jump, the man whirled around, and the briefcase fell open.

In the next second, the Ghoul spat out blood as he hit the pavement, his left side ripped open.

"E...Eh?" The maimed Ghoul uttered collapsing to the ground. He lay still, his eyes open in shock, yet alive. His breathing was shallow, yet present. Blood continued to pour through the massive gash along his body. His internal organs were heavily damaged. He teetered on the boundary between the two realms of life and death.

"Mado-san!"

The old man turned to see a youth running up to him. He too wore a trench coat, along with a silver briefcase-

Wait, silver briefcase?!

"Ah, Amon-kun. So nice of you to catch up." The man grinned.

"I apologize. I was just asking around for information that could bring us some leads."

"It's fine." the man named Mado chuckled, looking down at the fallen Ghoul. It was just barely clinging to life, staring at the two Doves in sheer horror. "So then..." the old man crouched down, producing something from his coat. It was steel pliers, sealed tightly inside a plastic bag. "Care to tell us anything you know about this contraption, dear man?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Arima had to admit, Asuna Yuki was a forced to be reckoned with, both inside a game and out.

Her moniker, "The Flash" was not just for show. In training, she moved at blinding speeds that even gave Arima some difficulty getting used to. She struck her targets with rapid, precise attacks that would end up being lethal injuries on a live Ghoul.

Currently, the two were engaged in a spar, though it may as well have been a real battle. Arima was wielding one of his two personal Quinques: IXA. It was a black Quinque that was chaotic in every sense of the word, classified as an Rank-S. It could turn into one hell of a lethal weapon, and also a near untouchable defense. In a way, it was a perfect balance of the two: from shield to spear.

Asuna's Quinque was one fitting for her previous affiliation.

It was a slim-bladed Quinque with a light aqua color. In fact, it resembled close to her own Lambent Light back in SAO. The blade was narrow yet sturdy, the rapier itself possessing a circular guard and a fitting handle. With this, it was possible to maximize her skill set to its full potential.

Asuna was constantly on the offensive, moving at incredible speeds and thrusting her blade forward with a near blinding speed. IXA was defending against it well, though she was leaving him little room to counterattack.

Arima observed her movements. While rapid and fluid, there seems to be a pattern that is distinguishable every so often. He was unsure if it was habitual or the proper sequence of her attacks. Yet he was unable to find an opening.

"Not bad," he praised her as IXA morphed into a demented black rapier, clashing with Asuna's Quinque. "I can see why you were made a Vice-Commander in SAO. I'm surprised your skills from a game transferred to reality... or perhaps you've always had such skills?"

"...After spending so long in a game where you had to fight to survive..." She broke off the clash of blades and went in for a counterattack. "...You're movements become so ingrained to memory that they transcribe through muscle memory!"

Arima couldn't help but smile a little. She really was strong, though perhaps that strength had also been given to her for fighting for her life in a virtual world. He wondered for a brief moment if all those who fought on the front lines of SAO were this strong before he switched IXA into Defensive Mode. Asuna once again delivered a flurry of strikes, all brought to a halt by the strength of his Quinque.

If she continued to keep this up, he just may have to use Narukami.

Seeing as Asuna couldn't penetrate through the defenses of the black Quinque, she backpedaled and quickly moved to the side. While IXA did have incredible blocking capabilities, it did not shield the wielder from the back or side.

Arima smiled slightly as he evaded to the left, avoiding having a cut on his shoulder before IXA changed into Offensive Mode.

He thrust the warped Rapier where Asuna now stood, the girl just barely avoiding the blade.

'He's fast!' she thought before going back on the counterattack, clashing against him measure for measure. Sparks flew everywhere as they struck against one another, unable to properly gain one over.

They have been at this bout for almost an hour, yet neither one seems to be exhausted.

"Tyah!" With a lunge and thrust, her Quinque shot forward, just barely touching Arima's cheek. It only grazed the skin, an incredible feet in and in itself, as Arima had never once been touched. However, the lunge left her completely open.

The Flash's eyes widened when she realized what had happened when she felt something poking against her stomach, and Arima smiling slightly.

The girl looked down and paled slightly from seeing the tip of the black Quinque to be pressed against her abdomen, just waiting to be run through.

What was even more terrifying was the fact that the Quinque was shortened considerably, while a black spire had emerged from the ground, pressing against her.

"Were you... holding back?"

"No." Arima replied. "It's rather hard to control IXA when it enters this state, so I try to use it as little as I can... unless I'm facing Ghouls, then there's no reason to hold back."

As he said his piece, the Reaper of CCG removed his weapon away from his partner and held a hand out to her. "You are a very capable fighter. Now I truly understand why you were known as, 'The Flash'."

"Th-thank you." Asuna accepted the hand and shook it. The girl blushed slightly from the praise, but inwardly, she also felt pleased with herself. To receive praise from the strongest member of CCG... it almost felt as if she were back in SAO, with her dearly beloved swordsman.

"Still, you could use a little work." he pointed out when they released, pushing up his glasses. "If you could remove those weakpoints... you could easily reach Special Class in no-time."

"You...You really think so...?" Asuna asked with wide eyes. Her...A Special Class...? The mere thought left her awe-struck. Was she really THAT good?

Arima nodded. "Hai."

"Wow...I...I don't know what to say..." Asuna spoke softly.

"Then don't say anything." he told her simply. "After all, becoming a Special Class Investigator is not easy."

"I...I understand." Asuna nodded. She knew of this. Obtaining a position like that took great work and effort to achieve.

"By the way, Yuki..." Arima spoke. "You're from the 20th Ward, right?"

"Hai, though my family often moves between it and the 3rd ward." she nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"There's been some recent activity in that Ward." he told her, much to her shock. "The Binge Eater has gone quiet, but from what we know, she encountered another S-Rated Ghoul named Jason. Also, the Gourmet, another S-Rated Ghoul, has been active lately."

"T-Three S-rated Ghouls?!" she cried in shock. Were there that many Ghouls showing up?

"Yes. Although, the Ripper was also present, but I believe you already know he was killed by the Black Ghoul."

"Black Ghoul?"

"It's the name we've given to the Ghoul that cannibalized Ripper." Arima answered. "As he has a black Koukaku and Ukaku."

"The one...who killed Ripper...?" Asuna muttered, her thoughts drifted back to what she was told before. The Black Ghoul...he was the one who killed and ate Ripper, who had been in the same hospital that Kirito had resided in previously.

For a moment, she wondered which had been the one to kill Kirito... Ripper, who had committed a mass slaughter, or the Black Ghoul, who had devoured him.

Either way...she couldn't stop the feelings of resentment flare up. It didn't matter which one did it...both of them were ghouls who brought their battle into a building full of injured or ill, innocent people. And because of them, her kirito was killed in the crossfire.

'They'll pay.' she swore to herself. 'Every Ghoul I meet... even the Black Ghoul... For Kirito's sake, I...'

She gritted her teeth.

'I'll kill him myself.'

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hold on, there are Investigators in the 20th Ward?!" Kirito exclaimed in shock, nearly losing his grip on a cup.

Touka scowled at him. "Keep it down, idiot!" she snarled, peeking over at the customers in the shop. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice his outburst, sans the Ghoul variety.

"Oh, sorry..." the black-haired gamer apologized. "But... Why are they here? What for?"

"Well, given the fact that Ghouls like Rize, Takeshi, and Bushido making themselves known around here, it's a no brainer that CCG would become curious as to why many high-rated Ghouls are here." Touka whispered back.

"Yeah, but Bushido and this Rize woman were killed." he replied logically. "And Takeshi's only done one job here, hasn't he?"

"True, but Rize and Bushido were still here." Touka pointed. "Also, there's the fact that there's a rumor going around that Jason's been hanging around here."

"Who?"

"Jason...A very dangerous Ghoul. He is a member of the Ghoul Organization Aogiri...and they detest humanity with a passion." Touka answered grimly.

"But...why would a guy like him even be here in the first place?"

"Who knows?"

Even still, the information was startling. "Is this Jason guy an S-Rated Ghoul too?"

"Yeah, and he rules over the 13th Ward." the blue-haired girl nodded. "Also, the manager did a little looking into that guy you killed back at the hospital. Turns out, that guy PoH? He was S-Rated too."

"S-Seriously...?!" Kirito's eyes widened from the surprising piece of information. S-Rated...? PoH...? Well, given who he was...it didn't seem too far off base.

He was actually surprised with himself that he managed to...to kill him...

Touka failed to notice how pale the boy looked, and continued. "Of course, there's also the fact that a certain fucking Gourmet's been pushing his luck."

"Huh...? A Gourmet...? What, is that supposed be a chef or something?" Kirito asked, inwardly relieved for the change of subject.

"...You would wish. More like a flamboyant pervert looking for 'the ultimate dish', or something like that."

"...Let me guess, he's another Ghoul."

"Yeah. He's one of the scum here in the 20th Ward."

"Great..." Kirito remarked in sarcasm. "...Anyone else I should be aware of?"

"...Yeah, two people."

Kirito became rigid when Touka's face hardened. "I don't know if it's true or not, but supposedly, in Aogiri, there's one Ghoul that you shouldn't cross... EVER. No one's ever survived against him, and not a single Investigator, even Special Class ones, have ever managed to escape him. He's Aogiri's second-in-command from what I know, and supposedly, he's a One-Eyed Ghoul. A natural born, like Eto."

"S-seriously?" the teen gulped. "W-who is he?"

"...The One-Eyed Dragon."

"One-Eyed...Dragon?" Kirito raised an eyebrow at the name. For some reason, he couldn't help but think of Date Masamune. But still...a Natural one-eyed like Eto?

"Yeah, a total fucking hell-raiser." Touka said, her tone serious. "From what I hear, he's just as bad as Eto was back in the day."

Kirito paused. "Wait, like Eto was...? What does that mean?"

The blue-haired girl chuckled slightly. "Let's just say she was in a bit of a... rebellious phase when she was younger. Enough so she became an SSS-Rated Ghoul."

"...Wait...did you say...SSS-Rated...?" Kirito's jaw dropped. There was a rating THAT high?!

"Yep."

"A-and Eto is SSS-Rated?"

"Yep." Touka repeated. "But, that's in the past. Takeshi is SSS-Rated too, though it's mostly because of how slippery he is, and how rarely he goes all out. Although, he's not the second person you need to watch out for."

"Oh, you mean the second Ghoul I need to watch out for."

The girl nodded, folding her arms over her chest. "To be honest, I don't really know much. Hell, no one really does. But, from what I hear, he goes after other Ghouls... and ONLY Ghouls."

This piece of information seemed to spark intrigue in Kirito. A Ghoul...that only goes after his own kind? So...he's basically a cannibal and refuses to touch humans? But why? What would a Ghoul gain from such a thing?

"Why does he only go after Ghouls?"

"I don't know, but from what I do know... he's one scary son of a bitch." Touka said, a darkened glare in her eyes. "A lot of Ghouls were killed by him, and has only ever gone after high-ranking Ghouls."

"Who is he?"

"Shi."

"Shi? As in, Death?" Kirito frowned. A strange name... yet also ideal for inspiring fear.

"Yep." Touka nodded. "A strange name...but it gets its job done."

XXXXXXXXXX

Elsewhere, in another part of Tokyo, a small clinic off to the 15th Ward was busy. Several Ghouls had come by, either being banged up from gang wars or narrow escapes from Doves. The doctor didn't mind though, so long as it didn't bring him trouble. It was a lot better than the 13th Ward, however.

Of course, Asaki Fueguchi knew trouble would come by, sooner or later... he just never expected it to come from HIM.

"What do you want, Yamori?"

Standing before Asaki was a gargantuan figure. He was tall and well built, his large frame barely concealing the mass of muscle beneath it. His face was hidden by a hocky mask, giving him the resemblance of the infamous murderer, Jason. His exposed blonde hair was spiked and slicked back. In his hands were a pair of metal pliers. "Oh...I believe you already know the reason."

The man sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "I thought we went over this. Whatever it is you want, I'm not doing it. My days in the 13th Ward are over and done with."

"It ain't that, doc." the man chuckled, setting the pliers down. "I just need... a replacement. This one is a bit rusty, too squeaky and ill fitting in my hands, and the one you gave me got tossed. I was hoping you'd make me a new one."

"Whatever," Asaki said, glaring at the man. "I'll have it done in three days. Just leave me and my family out of your business, or I swear, not even your dragon will keep you safe."

"Oh?" Yamori grinned beneath his mask. "Is The Surgeon about to rip me apart? I haven't seen your work since the day I left for Aogiri."

"That...those days are long behind me, Yamori. Please. Let me get to work on your new pliers. the sooner I work, the sooner you can get them." The man tried to change the subject.

Yamori shrugged, but didn't lose his smirk. "Whatever you say, doc." he said, lifting a hand to wave as he left, turning on his heel. Once he closed the door behind him, Asaki sighed tiredly, burying his face in his hands, dragging them down his eyes before he let them fall.

'If Yamori is showing up around here, then that's a sign of how dangerous it's going to get here...' he thought, thinking of his family. It was because of them that he had managed to leave those days behind... it was thanks to them that he finally had a life worth living. If they got caught up in his...

"Is something the matter, dear?"

Asaki turned to the new source of the voice. It was a young woman with long brown hair that fell over her left shoulder. It was his wife, Ryouko. Her expression was one of concern.

"...It's Jason." the man said bitterly. "He wants me to make something for him again."

At this, the woman grew even more worried. She was well aware of her husband's past life.

"If Jason's here, then that means something bad is going to happen." the man grimaced as he stood up, turning to face his wife, clasping her shoulders. "That's why... I need you to get out of here. Stay away from this Ward as far as you can."

"But Dear-"

"No buts! I don't want you or Hinami getting involved in what's going to happen. Please...I just want the two of you safe."

Ryoko flinched, but kept her face calm. Asaki's face was bitter, his hands gripping her shoulders in a vice. "I can't... let either of you get involved in my mistakes." he trembled. "An old friend of mine runs a coffee shop there, he-he helps Ghouls who can't go hunting for themselves. He can keep you safe."

"He can...?"

"He can. Just ask for Yoshimura and tell him. Hell understand." the man nodded.

Ryoko fidgeted in her husband's grasp. "A-are you sure...?"

"Yes." Asaki nodded. "I know him. He can help." He pulled her into a hug. "I love you... I love you and Hinami. The both of you... if it weren't for you, I would probably..." he stopped himself. "...You'll be okay. God, I promise you will."

"...Okay...but if We don't hear anything from you after a week, I'm coming back for you. No questions asked."

Asaki nodded. "That's fine."

He held her close one last time. It was taking everything he had not to try and let her leave. God, were not for this woman... he would still be like Jason: a killer... a monster.

He wasn't sure what he would do if he lost them.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Masks?"

Kirito and Kaneki looked at Yoshimura quizzically. The shop had just closed and the manager suddenly approached them on the topic. The elderly man nodded in confirmation. "Yes...given the current commotion, it would seem best if you two obtained masks to hide your faces as a precaution."

"How do you mean by that?" Kirito asked as he leaned on the table next to him. "Is it because of the Investigators?"

"Yes." Yoshimura nodded. "Right now, it's becoming difficult to move around. With Doves on the move here in the 20th Ward, things will become increasingly difficult from here on. On the off chance you're forced to encounter them, it's best if you're given masks. There's a small shop in the 4th Ward, run by a man named Uta. He can make the both of you masks. I've already asked Touka to take you there."

"Really? She's taking us?" Kirito asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. It was her day off, so I thought it would be the most sensible option. Plus, it would allow you three to communicate more."

"I'm surprised she agreed to that." Kaneki said, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, she doesn't seem to like us."

"Touka is just rough around the edges, Kaneki." Yoshimura told her. "Besides, believe it or not, she actually does care about you."

"Well, Dobe-Shima doesn't show it." Kirito remarked. "Hell, she never really showed that she liked us."

"She has her own reasons to act like that, Kirigaya-kun." Yoshimura spoke. "...Although it is not my position to say what they are."

Kirito raised an eyebrow, but later shrugged.

"Eh. Okay. So when do we go?"

"Tomorrow actually."

"That soon, huh?" Kaneki frowned slightly. "Well, I suppose it's better to get it soon rather than late. Still, a mask huh... I wonder what we'll get?"

"Hah, it'll be funny if we end up with Frankenstein-motif masks." the black-haired gamer grinned.

"Hey...That's not funny. I don't even think that would suit me. But knowing you...you'd probably get a knight-themed mask."

"You really think so?"

Kaneki nodded. "I think it would look good."

"Speaking of masks, what kind does Touka have?"

"A bunny rabbit." Yoshimura smiled.

"..." Both teen did not say a word. But after several seconds, Kirito burst out laughing like a mad-man.

"K-Kirigaya-san!"

"A-A bunny rabbit!" he guffawed. "H-hahahahahahahaha! O-Oh god! M-my sides..."

The black haired teen was not able to hear his friend as he was consumed by laughter.

"...I think we should be glad Touka isn't here," the shy boy sweat-dropped. "If she were, I think the cafe would be wrecked."

"I do think you're right." Yoshimura sighed. "It's almost like I'm watching Ayato-kun and Touka in their sibling squabble."

"Who?"

"Oh, he's..." He trailed off when the telephone behind the counter started to ring. "Oh, pardon me for a moment." he told the two before he walked over, picking up the phone. "Hello, Anteiku. Yoshimura speaking."

After speaking, Yoshimura listened. His eyes widened slightly out of apparent recognition of the voice. But they narrowed in seriousness a bit later. Once Kirito finally calmed down, neither teen seemed to know what was going on. But whatever it was...if it got Yoshimura to act like that...it can't be good.

"I understand."

The old man nodded. "Alright, I'll inform everyone." he said. "I'll take good care of her, I promise."

With that, he set the phone down. "Um..." Kaneki stuttered, looking worried. "What's going on?"

"...An old acquaintance of mine just called. Apparently, there is some commotion going on in the 15th ward and he is sending his wife and daughter here to ensure their safety."

"Wait, what happened?"

"I'm unsure, but it's still serious." he said seriously. "We'll be looking after the Fueguchi's for a while, until things settle down there. Still, whatever is happening over there... it can't be good."

Both raven haired teens looked at one another. The news Yoshimura just told them...was quite troubling. One could only assume what would happen next.

"W-who are we looking after?" Kaneki asked after a period of silence.

"His wife and daughter, Ryoko and Hinami." Yoshimura answered.

"His wife and daughter...?" Kirito's expression grew grim. Was the situation really that dire that he had to move his beloved family out of harm's way? Having a wife and daughter himself, Kirito somehow understood that the man was going through.

The old man nodded.

"I hope they'll be okay, with Doves coming here." the black-haired gamer said, crossing his arms. "Speaking of which, why are they here? Touka said it was because of a lot of Ghouls being active."

"Yes. Even though Rize and Bushido are gone, Tsukiyama-kun has been acting up lately... and then of course there was Takeshi-kun's latest heist," Yoshimura smiled slightly. "And then there was Shi's latest target."

"Shi?" Kaneki frowned. "You mean... Death?"

"Touka talked about him. He's seriously never gone after humans?"

"As far as I know...no. He tends to focus on hunting other Ghouls rather than humans. Although for what reason...I am unsure..."

"Who is he, exactly?" Kaneki asked. "Is he... someone you know?"

Yoshimura shook his head. "No one really knows, though the CCG has been after him for a long time."

"How long?"

"About twelve years."

Kirito did a dry spit-take, while Kaneki choked on his spit. "T-twelve years?!" they cried in shock. "That long?!"

"Indeed. Shi's not your ordinary Ghoul, having no record of killing any humans, and targeting only Ghouls. In a way, he's an anomaly, one they've never seen before."

This caused both teens to freeze. A Ghoul...that refuses to kill a human, and instead hunts his own kind.

Just how was it possible?

"But... how does he survive?" the eyepatch boy asked. "Doesn't he have to... you know...?"

"Well, there are two ways to keep yourself satisfied without killing a human." Yoshimura answered the question. "The first is to devour yourself, though it only works once a month rather than two. The second way..."

The old man grimaced. "Is to commit cannibalism."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Even to this day, you still don't make any damn sense," Marude spat, narrowing his eyes. "You didn't even try to kill us."

Shi was currently inside a carrier truck, his arms and legs bound, and his mask all but removed. His bangs shadowed the upper half of his face, but the lower half suggested he was young, perhaps around Amon's age. Located on his lower lip was a scar that reached down to his jawline.

"You know how I operate, Marude." Shi replied, his voice calm as if he was not in any real danger. "And you know how I view you humans."

"That still doesn't explain why you choose to commit cannibalism rather than eating humans. What is your motive for this?!"

"And why would I attack humans, Marude?" the infamous Ghoul asked, a small smirk forming on his face. "You've accomplished so many things in the past... Weapon advancements, medical technology, and let us not forget the Quinques. You're a unique species, one that deserves to live... whereas we Ghouls, on the other hand, deserve extinction." The black-haired Ghoul sighed in regret. "If only I was born as a human, I wouldn't have to put up with all of this shit.

The investigator fell silent upon hearing his response. This...was not quite what he was expecting. This ghoul...actually looked up to humans? That didn't sound right. Surely he must have a hidden motive.

"What?" Shi chuckled. "Did you think all Ghouls are monsters?" He threw his head back, laughing. "Hate to break it to ya, Marude, but there are a few good Ghouls in this world... Sadly, they're in rather short supply. I'd say the number of good Ghouls is equal to the number of humans who want co-existence with us. And keep in mind, those number are in the triple digits."

"...Che, trying to understand you is worse than trying to understand that damned Phantom." Marude scoffed, turning away as he crossed his arms. "I'll never get guys like you."

"That's too bad." Shi looked down to his feet, a solemn smile on his face. "It's because of such misunderstanding, that conflict always exists in this world."

"And the hell is that suppsed to mean?"

"An old Ghoul once told me this, 'Humans kill Ghouls, and Ghouls kill humans. It never ends. It's a vicious cycle without an end in sight. The world is constantly attacking itself, and we only try to justify ourselves by saying it's what they deserve... but since when has that EVER given us the right to rob the life of a precious living creature? No matter the reason, and regardless of circumstances, the act of taking a life is nothing but pure evil.'" Shi chuckled grimly. "In a way, there really isn't a difference between us, between the Ghouls and the Investigators. In the end... we're all just murderers."

Marude could not form a response to this statement. Whoever taught Shi those words...had a damn good grip on philosophical ideals. He was right. Humans kill ghouls. Ghouls kill humans. That's the way it has been for who knows how long.

It had been that way long before the CCG was ever established.

"...Well, can't deny that one," the middle-aged man chuckled, taking out a cigarette. "Lots of people these days to some pretty sick and twisted shit, especially overseas with that damned ISIS business."

"Don't forget the rest of the world." Shi added, grinning.

"You smoke?"

"Once in a while."

"Then take one. Gonna be a looooong ride to Cochlea."

XXXXXXXXXX

"This place looks like hell." Kirito remarked as he watched a man getting chased out of an alleyway, just barley ducking underneath a glass bottle being thrown at him. It shattered when it smashed against the brick wall. "And this Uta guy is supposed be here, Dobe-Shima?"

"Yes, he is." Touka replied before glaring at him, looking over her shoulder. "And quit calling me that, Kuro-Baka!"

"Soon as you stop calling me that first!"

Kaneki sighed. "Can't you guys go one day without fighting?"

"Depends...if this guy stops being an idiot." Touka jerked a thumb over to Kirito.

"The same can be said for you." Kirito retorted.

Kaneki sighed again, shaking his head. "Let's... just find Uta-san."

Both bickering teens glared at one another, but continued on in the shady neighborhood.

"Still, Kirito-san is right," Kaneki continued as he looked around. "This looks like someplace in gang territory. How can anyone live in this place?"

"That's just how the 4rth Ward is." Touka said. "Here, it's all fair game. There's no rules, no one to keep you in line... it's like a Ghoul's paradise. Doves don't usually come around here because of the poor condition. That, and the number of Ghouls here is a giant question mark, like the 24th Ward."

"Wait, 24th?" Kirito stopped, frowning. "There's only 23 Wards in Tokyo."

"According to CCG, there are only 23 wards. However, we classify one particular area as one unknown to them."

"Really?"

"Yeah... the 24th Ward is just one giant network of abandoned subway tunnels and underground holes. The ratio between Ghouls and humans is pretty damned screwed. Some of us have a more personal name for it."

"And what's that?" Kirito asked curiously.

When Touka turned to face him, he wished he hadn't of asked.

"Hell."

Her face was set in a grave disposition. Her mouth was set in a grim frown, her eyes narrowed in seriousness. There was no room for humor or light-heartedness.

"H-hell?"

"Yeah... In every sense of the word." the girl said, spitting in disgust. "For Ghouls who can't defend themselves, it may as well be their resting place. Cannibalism is frequent, and the gang wars are downright brutal. Sure, any who survive their become strong... but their perception of the world will be warped like you wouldn't believe. I'm sure the manager told you this first day on the job... but don't EVER go near that place, otherwise you'll regret it."

"...Okay..." Kirito nodded. He was going to take Touka's word for it. If anything made her react like that, then there is no room for argument. He had seen a glimpse of Hell once...he was not eager to see it again.

"H-hai!"

"Good." Touka nodded, smiling slightly. "Last thing I need to worry about is two dead halfers."

"Yeah, well, you're stuck with these halfers."

"Shut up." the girl rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we're here."

The raven haired teens paused to observe their surroundings. They had just climbed down a set of stairs and now stood before a closed door. There wasn't anything that distinguishes the residence of the place. It was blank.

"...Is this really the place?"

Touka nodded. "Yeah. Anyway, let's go." She didn't leave much argument as she entered the complex. Kirito and Kaneki looked at each other before they shrugged, following her inside.

If one word were used to describe the atmosphere inside the shop...it would be freaky. When they stepped in, they noticed that the interior was dimly lit. Multiple masks of varying designs hung from the walls. In the middle of the floor were numerous mannequin dummies.

"…Whoa."

"...Whoa? That's all you guys can say?" Touka raised an eyebrow at their reaction.

"What else can you say to this?" Kirito asked, gesturing to the room. "I know you said he was a mask maker, but holy shit man! This place is littered with 'em! Also-wait, is that a mask based on Pinhead?!"

"...Uta-san must take his work very seriously." Kaneki said, looking around the shop. "There's so many... do we just pick one?"

"You can, or he can do a custom-made mask for you." she explained. "I just found a mask on the shelves that suited me."

"And you have good taste." a new voice interjected. The three turned around to face a new figure enter through the curtained doorframe.

It was a Ghoul, evident by the black and red eyes. His hair was black with the left side shaven, a lip piercing located at the bottom, and tattoos located around his neck, written in latin. He was dressed mostly in a dress shirt and a black jacket, complete with baggy slacks. "I would have liked to have made you a custom mask, Touka-chan." the man said as he stepped into the shop. "So, these the boys Yoshimura talked about over the phone?"

"That's right." The girl nodded, gesturing to the two males, both of which were still taking in the guy's appearance.

"So... you're Uta-san?" Kaneki asked awkwardly, smiling nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "S-sorry to bother you."

"Oh, it isn't a problem." Uta assured him. "So... Kaneki-kun and Kirigaya-kun, right?"

"Yeah." the gamer nodded. "You've got a lot of masks... You mind if I take a look around?"

"Be my guest." the Ghoul said before turning back to Kaneki. "So, which do you prefer? Regular, or custom?"

"Um... Custom, I think."

"Okay then."

The tattooed man went back to his office. When he returned, he was carrying a note pad, a pencil, and measuring tape. "Please, have a seat." He gestured to a stool in the corner of the room. Kaneki followed while Kirito remained looking around the walls.

Kaneki nodded, and sat down on the stool. "Say, that eyepatch is cute," Uta commented as tilted Kaneki's head at various angles. "Is it your thing?"

"A-ah...not exactly..." Kaneki rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before removing it. He opened his once concealed eye, revealing it to be darkened in a single Kakugan.

"Whenever I get hungry, my eye acts up, so I have to keep it hidden."

"Ah..." Uta nodded. "Yoshimura told me two new One-Eyes joined Anteiku. The only other guys I know are Eto-chan and Takeshi-kun." He tilted Kaneki's head up, wrapping some measurement tape around his temple before moving up vertically from the chin to the hairline. "Do you have any allergies towards material? Plastic? Leather? Silicon?"

"Ah no...I not allergic to any of them." Kaneki shook his head.

"I see. That makes things easier." He then stretched the tape across Kaneki's forehead. "Now, is there a particular color you like?"

"Um... black, I guess?"

"Really?" the Ghoul raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kirito, who was holding a mask with exaggerated teeth and eyes in the form of a plus and heart in his hands. "I would have that was Kirigaya-kun's color."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Just take a look." he said, gesturing to Kirito. "He's dressed all in black. You can tell a person by how they act, how they perform, and how they dress."

"I-is that so...?" Kaneki never thought of it that way.

"By the way, do you have any likes or dislikes, Kaneki-kun?"

"Hm...not any in particular." The teen shook his head.

"I see..."

Uta removed the tape, and once again began to tilt the boy's head around, measuring the neck and facial features. "Is there a girl you like?" he asked suddenly, causing Kaneki to splutter, cheeks turning red. "Maybe, Touka-chan?"

"W-what?" Kaneki stuttered. "W-well... Sh-she is cute, but she can be scary sometimes."

"Really? I like to think of her as a hard worker."

The girl in question was on the far side of the room, paying no mind to their conversation as she observed some of Uta's more recent works.

"How do you mean?"

"Think about it." Uta said as he took up his pen and pad, making a quick sketch of his face with the measurements off to the side. "Ghouls like us try to avoid contact with humans, out of fear of being discovered. In a way, by taking a job like working as a waitress or business man, we walk a tight rope... but Touka does that while attending school, mingling with humans on a daily basis. In other words, her rope is much thinner than others."

"So...you're saying that her risk of exposure is greater than others?"

"That is exactly right. The same thing goes for Takeshi, right?"

Kaneki nodded. "Yeah... but people wouldn't suspect him. He's a role model amongst his peers."

"Even still, he's walking one hell of a thin rope." Uta commented, moving to the side. "And his job as a thief only makes it that much thinner."

"Oh..." Kaneki fell quiet. It was true. Not only was Takeshi a Ghoul, but he was also a thief, and a very well-known one at that. Not only did he have to worry about Investigators and his classmates finding out about his secret, but he also had the authorities after him as well. It was like dealing with three enemies at all sides. "Um... Uta-san? Are these questions necessary?"

"No, but they help me get a better idea of who I am working with." he confessed. "It helps me learn more about them. Like I said, you can learn a lot about people from how they act. By the way... do you have any likes? Say, movies or books?"

"Well, I don't do movies... they're more Hide's cup of tea. I prefer novels... mostly Eto's books."

"Into tragedy, I take it?" Uta smiled thinly. "I rather like them myself... Though I prefer the ones where the main characters are alive at the end." He leaned back, setting his pad and pen down. "There... I think I have an idea of what I'll do. I should have it done at the end of the week."

"Oh, okay." Kaneki nodded, hopping off the stool.

"Now then..." Uta turned to Kirito. "What would you like, Kirigaya-kun?"

"...Actually, do you mind if I buy this one?"

Kirito was holding a particular mask that caught his eye. If one knew all about him...it would definitely be fitting. It was a mask made to cover the entire head. It was colored black from the thin layer of shadow-cast metal plating it.

The faceplate of the mask was a blank, piece of black metal. The visor was a row of vertical slits that gave off the semblance of a Knight helmet.

"Huh..." Uta rubbed his chin, scrunching his chin in thought. "I do admit, that appears to suit you... Are you sure you want that one instead of a custom?"

Kirito nodded.

"Well, alright." the man smiled. "And because this is your first mask, it's on the house. Any mask after this, you have to pay for."

"Fine by me."

The black swordsman gripped his newly acquired mask. He didn't know why...but he felt compelled to take this one.

"Is that all?" Uta asked. Touka nodded. The Ghoul smiled. "Thank you for your patronage. Come again~"

The three left, with Kirito being given a bag to put his mask in. Kirito and Kaneki waved at him as they left the shop, ascending up the stairs and closing the door behind them. Once they were gone Uta chuckled. "I can tell... Those two are going to be a lot of fun to watch."

He then reached over to his desk and took out an eyeball from a petri dish. With a bemused grin, he popped the organ into his mouth like a grape and ate it.

'I wonder where things will go from here...'

XXXXXXXXXX

Amon was slightly frustrated as he and Mado walked out of the room. "Honestly..." he muttered in disdain. "And they call themselves Investigators?"

Earlier, they were discussing possible Ghoul cases and suspects under investigation, either from reports or previous investigations. Among the case files there were investigating was a possible Ghoul suspect visiting a grave. The Investigators in the 20th Ward branch were supposed to have investigated the scene thoroughly, which also included digging up the sight if needed. It didn't hurt to be too thorough...

Yet they didn't seem to get it. They claimed it was immoral... but since when did Ghouls have a sense of "morality?" Investigators were Justice, and it was their job to obtain it by any means necessary.

"Oh, calm down, Amon-kun." Mado chuckled. "They can't help it. They don't have that spark, like you do. Hell, the number of people with your mentality are quite few in number, possibly in the lower three digits."

"It doesn't matter. This case is one that stands out from the others. I just don't see why they don't compel themselves to become more invested in it." Amon shook his head.

"Like I said, they don't have your spark... at least, not yet."

"Sir?"

"Think of it this way, Amon-kun," the old man waved his hand around. "Right now, the entire situation is a powder keg, one giant explosion just waiting to happen. All it needs is a lit flame, a spark, and the entire thing goes off. Everything is set ablaze. As that fire continues to burn, it begins to expand and grow and grow. Your actions will be that spark, and before long, they'll understand what your ideal is."

Amon blinked, clearly having not expected that of his superior/partner... but in a way, his explanation made sense. "I... see..."

"Well, at any rate, it won't be long before the matter is settled." Mado said. "Just let them handle the case. We have much bigger fish to fry anyway."

"You are referring to the incidents in the 13th and 20th wards?"

"Oh yes. Wouldn't you agree that both areas seem rather suspicious as of late? The 20th ward has currently massed a number of S-rated Ghouls and the infamous Bushido, as well as the new Black Ghoul."

"Yes, it does seem strange..." Amon nodded in agreement. "The Binge Eater has been quiet for the last three months, and that's after contact with Jason. Our only lead," he pulled out the plastic baggie containing the steel pliers. "Is this. According to forensics, it's made of Quinque Steel, meaning it can easily rip apart a Ghoul's flesh."

"Indeed, and Bushido hasn't killed anyone yet. His work is rather easy to find." Despite the morbid meaning, the Quinque Fanatic grinned. "He's got rather messy table manners, after all. Then there's the Gourmet, who's been on the rise lately."

"And finally the Black Ghoul, who killed Ripper." the young Investigator finished with a frown. "And that's the one case I'm confused... Ripper was obviously posing as a patient, which is a rather risky gamble. The RC test results could easily point him out as a Ghoul, so why take the risk?"

"And then there's the Black Ghoul, who killed Ripper in the hospital." Mado continued. "From the obvious state of the body, the Black Ghoul must have been starving, meaning he didn't kill anyone in the hospital. A curious thing, since he was also a patient. There's also the possibility that he was stalking Ripper, waiting for the chance to kill him."

"Why would a Ghoul do that?"

"It's possible that the Black Ghoul is a vigilante-type figure," the old man theorized, stopping to turn and face his partner. "It's not the first time such a Ghoul has come into the spotlight. As a matter of fact, when Arima was still a teenager, he was working a case where he encountered a Ghoul that had a particular liking towards juveniles. Apparently, Pumpkin thought that scum who didn't appreciate their luck in being human shouldn't be allowed to live. In a sense, she was 'taking out the trash', as Fura put it."

Amon stared at Mado. "...While that might be true, Pumpkin killed humans. The Black Ghoul killed a Ghoul. There's a difference between the two."

"Same principle, Amon-kun." he dismissed the younger Investigator. "It's all a matter of perspective... Of course, there is one important factor to consider."

"Oh?"

"Tell me, Amon-kun... have you ever heard of the Sword Art Online incident?"

Amon's eyes widened from the out-of-field question. He knew of the incident quite well. In fact, he doubt there was anyone who hasn't.

It was a significant even that took place years ago. The launch of the Nerv Gear gaming system and the first true VRMMORPG game, Sword Art Online. It was supposed to be a joyful occasion, where gamers everywhere would be able to truly dive into the experience of a video game and meet others.

However...that dream quickly turned into a nightmare.

The creator of the game, Kayaba Akihiko, made it so that the players would be unable to log out of the game, thus trapping them inside. TO make matters worse, he manipulated the system and game hardware to make it so that anyone who dies in the game dies in real life. This was due to the safety feature of the Nerve Gear to be disabled upon a player avatar's death. If the safety is disabled, then the microwaves circulating within the helmet would fry the user's brain, killing them.

Needless to say, it was recorded as the worst terrorist attack in history, rivaling even the events of 9/11 in the United States. For two years, parents, siblings, and loved ones watched as their precious people were confined to hospital beds, dreading and fearing for the news that they had been killed in the game, and thus, killed in real life.

And then, after two years, someone had cleared the game.

The information regarding said individual had circulated society for quite some time. He was known by his alias as the Black Swordsman, or the Beater. He was also called by his avatar name, Kirito. But his true identity is that of a young teenager named Kazuto Kirigaya, a Beta tester for Sword Art Online.

Needless to say, the young teenager was the subject of the media for several days and months. The SAO incident was all anyone cared about for a long time, and it did not help matters when the young man had once again done something in a virtual world when he exposed a man named Nobuyuki Sugou for "kidnapping" 300 SAO Survivors, using them as test subjects for illegal experimentation.

When Amon first heard the news, all he could think about was wanting to strange that man. He was no better than Ghouls.

Of course, after a year or so, the incident died down, but people still talked about it. To this day, Kazuto Kirigaya was still something of a virtual celebrity. Even after the SAO incident, he was still into virtual reality, taking part in the BoB Tournament held in the game Gun Gale Online, which was the subject of controversy to the rumors of a player able to kill people inside a game. Amon hadn't paid much attention to the story, as he was immersed with work at the time.

Imagine his surprise when he learned that the infamous gamer was in the same hospital where Ripper and the Black Ghoul was.

"...Why do you ask that?"

"Apparently, Ripper had a unique tattoo printed on his arm." Mado explained. "Forensics thought it might have some form of significance, so they did a little bit of research. As it happened, that same tattoo was used as a marker for a group of players in the SAO game. And here is the best part: the group of players were all PK's! Player Killers!"

Amon's eyes widened. "Sir, you're not actually suggesting that...!"

"Oho, but I am, Amon-kun." Mado grinned like a madman. "If my hunch is right, Ripper was a Sword Art Online survivor... and so was the Black Ghoul."

Amon couldn't believe what he was hearing. Both Ghouls...were related to the Sword Art Online incident?! This had to be more than coincidence. He also recalled that there was some talk of how the Black Swordsman detested Laughing Coffin with a passion. Based on the information he was told...his instincts were screaming at him who the Black Ghoul could possibly be.

But that was impossible! Humans can't become Ghouls!

"Now, the real question here is, who's got a grudge against the PK group Laughing Coffin?" Mado rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "There are many survivors who've got a grudge, that Kazuto Kirigaya boy in particular, but the list is pretty damn long. At the very least, it'll take us a month to find potential suspects."

"I-I agree." Amon tried to compose himself, squashing his thoughts. Even still, his mind was screaming at him. The thought wouldn't leave his mind. "For now, though... We should focus on finding Jason."

"Indeed. We're getting quite off track." the old man nodded. The two resumed walked, heading to the lobby. "Speaking of Kazuto Kirigaya, I hear his younger sister has become an Investigator?"

"Yes, sir. She's paired up with Special Class Kuroiwa." Amon stated, causing the old man to chuckle.

"Is that so?" he mused. "Ever since the Ripper incident, we got a couple of new recruits, and all of them are from SAO... Something tells me things will be quite more lively, especially since one of them is paired up with Arima of all people."

"You're referring to Asuna Yuki, sir?"

"Indeed I am. In all honesty, I was quite surprised to hear that she would be joining us. But then again...the possibility of her loved one being killed by Ripper must be her drive to do so. I actually sympathize with her motive." The elderly man nodded with a genuine smile.

Amon raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Even though Mado knew his life as if it were an open book, he knew nothing of his superior. He knew his eccentric behavior and his disgust toward Ghouls, but he never talked much about his life. He mentioned his daughter, Akira, every now and then, but he never spoke much about his reasons for becoming an Investigator...

...or his anger against the One-Eyed Owl.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Man, it's getting pretty dark." Kirito noted as they made their way out of the 4rth Ward, looking up at the sky. "I guess we should head back now, huh?"

"We should have done that a long time ago." Touka harumphed. "But no, you wanted to look and see if they had any games out... I swear, you're an otaku."

"So says the one who was staring at the arcade crane that had a bunny rabbit." the gamer shot back with a grin, causing the girl to blush fiercely, accompanied by a scowl.

"S-shut it!"

"Aw, is little miss rabbit embarrassed?"

"Gr... You're asking for it, Kuro-Baka!"

"U-um..." Kaneki spoke up. The two glared at him expectantly, while the shy boy scratched his cheek, his face slightly red. "I-I think... it's cute she likes rabbits."

"...Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-SHUT UP!" Touka huffed and turned away. But Kirito still saw the red on her cheeks.

"Aww...is little miss bunny rabbit embarrassed?" He teased.

Touka's response was to try and slug him, but the boy moved away, still grinning. "BASTARD!"

"Heehee~ Look at that blush!"

Kaneki sighed. "One of these days, Kirigaya-san... Touka-chan's gonna kill you."

"If that ever happens...I'm going to have the last laugh." Kirito chuckled as he ducked beneath another swing.

"I'm seriously going to kill you, bastard!" Touka growled.

The antics continued, though Kaneki couldn't help but smile. 'This atmosphere... this face we're making...' he thought to himself. 'All my life, ever since I've learned about them, I just thought of Ghouls to be monsters... But, now that I'm in their world... I can see it now.'

'There really is... no difference between them and us.'

Just from experiencing the interaction between himself and the others at Anteiku, or just by watching them, Kaneki had grown to understand that everything that he once believed Ghouls to be had become untrue.

The more he spent in this world of theirs, the World of Ghouls, he had started to understand it. There was no difference. Ghouls were the same as humans. They had a sense of what was right and what was wrong. They knew that they could find other ways to live. They had families. They had friends. They had lives of their own to live.

It was perhaps because of that fact that he was starting to slowly beginning to accept being a Ghoul. He still refused to eat actual humans, but thanks to Kazuto, he was willing to do whatever it took to protect the people he cared about when the time came. He would not kill, but neither would he stand by and watch his friends get hurt.

"S-stop, let me go!"

The three paused when they heard the shrill cries of a girl. They turned and saw someone being harassed by a group of boys, all of them older than her. Touka scowled. "Great..." she murmured. "More of those punks."

"You know them, Touka-chan?" the eyepatched Ghoul asked, wandering whether or not they should step in. There were only two boys, and three of them, and given how 'persuasive' Touka could be... they'd be running pretty soon.

"Yeah, a bunch of pricks that like to try and pick up girls. They've been getting bolder lately. I wouldn't be surprised if they started to sexually harass someone."

"S-should we help?"

Before Touka could form a response, the girl tried to leave, whirling around. One of the boys caught her by the arm. "L-let go!" she shouted, tears in her eyes.

The moment Kirito saw her, his body froze, and his breath hitched. His eyes widened, close to the point of popping out. 'N-no... no way...' he thought, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. 'I-it can't be... T-there's no way... and yet... she's right there... Right there!'

That face...

That hair...

Those eyes...

That voice...

There was no doubt about it... yet he still couldn't believe it.

"Aw, come on, let's have a little fun!" one of the thugs asked, grinning with a dark look in his eyes. "After all, cops don't come around often, and I know a great place where we can hang out...~"

The moment Kirito heard that, he snapped out of his shock... and found only white-hot anger flooding in his body. Without thinking, his body went into auto-pilot, and shot past his friends.

"Wha-?!"

"K-Kirigaya-san?!"

He ignored them, and ran forward. The thug noticed him, turning to face him, about to ask what he was doing...

...only to receive a right hook to the face.

The force behind the blow, added to the fuel of his burning rage, actually broke the thug's jaw, knocked his teeth out, and flung him straight into an adjacent brick wall. The punk's body crashed into the stony surface, cracking it upon impact. The man's eyes became glassy, signifying he was either unconscious or dead. His limp body remained there for a few moments before falling face first into the pavement.

The remaining bullies were shocked at what happened to their leader, and turned to face the assailant in blind rage. However, that rage was quickly replaced by fear as they looked into his eyes. Their voices died in their throats, replaced by terrified whimpering.

The raven haired teen's eyes possessed a lethal edge to them. It wasn't just the glare of an enraged human...

...it was the glare of a demon.

And that wasn't all. It was his eyes that truly terrified them. His left eye was perfectly normal, the dark orb creating the illusion of a darkness of anger... but the right eye was another story. The entire iris bleeded with crimson red, and surrounding it was a black color. Veins bulged around his right eye as he glared at them with absolute fury.

The bullies were rooted in place, sweat pouring down their faces, unable to look away. It felt as if they were looking death in the face.

"...Get the hell out of my sight before I fucking kill you!"

"H-Hai….!" The remaining thugs cried in absolute horror. They left the girl alone, picked up their fallen leader, and sped away as fast as their legs could carry. If they stopped, one would notice the dark stains on the crotch of their pants.

Touka and Kaneki were baffled, still left standing where Kirito had left them to apparently save the girl.

"...Holy shit." was all Touka could say. That was the first time she had ever seen Kirito so angry, and quite frankly, it left her terrified. She could feel the killing intent all the way from where she stood. For a moment, she thought she had just seen Eto angry, and that was a scary thought beyond imagination.

"K-Kirigaya-san is terrifying!" Kaneki said, his face slightly pale. In truth, he felt a little feint. He had never seen Kirito look so... angry before. In fact, he never saw him angry period. At least now he know how dangerous he could be, and that was just from bullying!

Or... was that all there was to it?

Kirito himself panted slightly, trying to reign himself in. He felt his Kakugan recede back slowly, he black sclera fading away. He could still feel the embers of anger burning in his chest. He thought that, if they had gone any further, he would have actually made due on his threat and slaughtered them. No, slaughter was too weak a word. In fact, their fates would probably be much worse than PoH's ever was.

"...Ki...rito-san?"

The voice brought him back. He turned to face the girl he had saved just now. They were close, able to see their faces clearly. The girl obviously seemed to recognize him, her face one of shock, as if she were staring at an old friend she hadn't seen in so long. Relief and wonder filled her, wondering if this was a dream. If it were, she hoped she would never wake up from it.

Kirito, however, stared at her. That face... that face...

It... truly was her.

'All this time...' he couldn't help but think, staring at the girl he had failed to save... the girl he had left behind. 'All this time, you... you were...!'

Tears fell from his face as he whispered her name. The name of the girl he had cared for so much. The name of the girl he had long since lost. The name of the girl he had betrayed.

The name of the girl he failed to protect.

"...Sa...chi..."

To Be Continued...

**"Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness." -Markus Zusak, The Book Thief**


	7. The Roost

**Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride, the creator of so many great stories like Persona 5: Night of the Phantom, Highschool DxD ALT, Highschool DxD: Shatter Destiny, Zero Irregularity, Highschool: Devil X Seraph, Code Geass Tokyo Ghoul, and many more. I could never have created this and my other projects without him. **

**I really appreciate your help, man. Couldn't have done this without ya!**

**Like, follow, favorite, and review. Thank you to all who continue to support this story. **

**Also…..ALL FLAMES CAN JUST BURN IN HELL!...So don't even bother. **

**Otherwise…..ENJOY!**

**Happy Thanksgiving!**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 7: The Roost**

When Sinon met her partner, she soon realized that Iwa had not been kidding when he said that Mougan was eccentric.

The man stood a full head taller than her with a wide frame of muscle. His black hair was fashioned into a pompadour and a thick mustache sat on his upper lip. However, that wasn't what Sinon would classify as eccentric.

It's his way of speaking and personality.

"Mmmmmm!" the man breathed heavily. She could swear she saw steam blow out of his nostrils as he stroked his mustache. "So, you're Shino Asada, hm? You're small, but I hear you're pretty terrifying with a gun." he grinned broadly as he extended his hand. "It'll be nice working with you!"

"Y-you as well." the sniper nodded hesitantly, taking her hand into his. 'Holy crap they're huge,' she noted, noticing the vast difference in size. They were like giants in comparison to her skinny hand. "It will be a pleasure working with you."

"Good. You have a strong grip. I can tell you are strong, young miss." The man smiled broadly. He let go of the smaller woman's hand and nodded with a sage-like expression.

"Th-thank you..." She spoke in gratitude. But inside, her mind was busy pondering. She just can't understand this man.

"So!" his voice boomed suddenly, causing her to jump. "How good are you with a firearm, Shino-kun?"

Sinon felt her eyebrow twitch in annoyance. He did realize she was a girl, right? "Fairly well, I suppose." she stated. "In VRMMORPG's like Gun Gale, I'm pretty much a sniper. Not to brag or anything, but I was considered the strongest sniper in GGO. That being said, there's a difference between guns in virtual reality and guns in real life."

"Mmmmmmm, indeed!" Mougan nodded. "Still, from what Iwa's told me, you got a perfect score on the firearm test. Very impressive for someone so young."

"It was nothing really. Honestly, I'd have to thank Gun Gale for helping work on my marksmanship. When using a sniper rifle, aim is everything."

"Say, Shino-kun."

"Mougan-san, you do know that I am a girl, right?"

"What does gender matter?"

"Huh?" She looked at him with a questioning gaze.

"Ones gender shouldn't determine their ability or skill. We are all people. We all have equal potential to succeed and beyond."

...Were it not for the fact that the speech was arousing, Shino would have probably decked him for misinterpreting her words. Sighing in resignation, she shrugged her shoulders. "I see," she lied. "So, what do we do first?"

"Well, before you can even think of going and shooting Ghouls full of holes, you're going to need something far more useful than a gun." Mougan grinned. "And I have JUST the thing!"

He tossed the silver briefcase to her. She panicked as it descended toward her, catching it on either side and nearly losing her balance before she shifted herself back to a more comfortable position. She sighed heavily in relief before glaring at the man. "Next time, hand it to me."

"Oh, just open it. I guarantee this Quinque will be right up your alley." he assured her, crossing his arms with a look of anticipation.

"...O...kay." Shino did as she was told. She somewhat doubted she would be impressed by the Quinque just by his words alone...

...But she turned out to be wrong. She clicked the button and the case opened.

The metal case fell to the floor, and in her hands was...

'...I'm in heaven.'

The Quinque was shaped more like a gigantic sniper rifle, easily taller than Mougan. Its barrel was long, and quite different than any gun she ever saw with a bloody red vein-like pattern that extended from the mouth. Resting near where the barrel and the hilt of the gun met was a scope. The arm rest was also large, extending as long as her legs.

All in all, it was beautiful.

"Allow me to introduce the S Rank Quinque," Mougan smiled broadly in pride. "Phantom Bullet. Made from the S Rated Ghoul, Hollow Knife, knowing for his quick percision and strength with an Ukaku. You'll find it to be quite the nasty little devil."

Sinon grinned. "...I like it already, Mougan-san."

"Hahaha! I am glad you are enjoying your new Quinque, Shino-kun. It is also a weapon nearly on par with my Angel!" The Special Class Investigator patted the silver briefcase next to him.

"Your Angel?"

"Yes. My Higher Mind."

"And what's that do?" she inquired curiously.

"Mmmmmmm, you'll find out soon enough, I think." he told her, much to her disappointment. "Anyway, for the time being, you'll simply be training to get used to your weapon, until something occurs. Word is that a group called Aogiri is preparing for an attack."

"Aogiri..." Sinon frowned deeply. "You mean Aogiri Tree."

"Mmmm." Mougan nodded. "A Ghoul Organization led by the One-Eyed King, and at his right hand... the One-Eyed Dragon. A monster beyond anything you can imagine."

The man had a stern expression and fierce gaze when he spoke of the Dragon. Shino noticed this, and believed that there was some history between the CCG and One Eyed Dragon. What it was, she did not know.

"...They are truly that powerful?"

"Indeed. Ten years ago...the CCG was attacked by the One-Eyed Dragon. We nearly lost half of our forces to the savage beast. If Arima-kun hadn't stepped in and severely wounded it, who knows how much worse it would be."

The girl's eyes widened greatly. "It's that dangerous?!"

"Mmmmmmm!" the burly man nodded with the utmost seriousness. "He is labelled as an SSS-Rated Ghoul, but the King... that demon is a league far beyond any Ghoul. No one knows his true identity... but he is a demon in every sense of the word."

"...I see." Sinon nodded. "I will do my best, Mougan-san."

"Hahahahaha! Ready to jump into the fire!" Mougan howled with laughter. "I can tell! This shall be a fine partnership!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Philia fidgeted nervously, her Quinque case sitting in her lap as she waited inside the main lobby. She had been instructed to wait for her superior, and her partner, here, but already half an hour had passed since the order arrived. In truth, she was a bit nervous.

After all, it wasn't every day that you meet with the person that you are paired up with for your duty as a Ghoul Investigator. She really wanted to make a good impression and not make things awkward. If she was going to work with someone for an indefinite period of time, she preferred it with someone she was comfortable being around with.

"...Kotone-chan?"

Philia stood up straighter, hearing someone calling out for her. She turned to see someone entering the building, finding herself frozen in place for a while. It was a woman in her mid-twenties, bearing blonde hair that bore two braids, one on either side, and dressed in a professional suit with black leggings, purple heels, a black skirt with a dark purple work jacket, and a black shirt underneath. Her eyes bore a curious, almost dangerous gleam to them colored light silver. In her hand was a silver briefcase.

"H-hai!" she greeted, bowing her head. "A-are you... my senpai?"

The woman smiled slightly. "I wouldn't call myself a 'senpai,' simply because I've only been in the CCG for two years now, but yes, I am your partner." She extended her hand in greeting. "I am Rank 2 Investigator, Akira Mado. It's a pleasure."

"It's nice to meet you as well." Kotone greeted in kind. Based on the initial meeting, it seemed that Akira was a nice person. This put the girl's worries more at ease.

"You know...I was surprised that not just one...but five teenage girls managed to pass the examinations and climb up to Rank 2 Investigators in the span of months. You and your friends must be prodigies of some sort." The woman smiled playfully.

Philia rubbed the back of her neck, a sheepish grin on her face. "W-well, we were all stuck in a death game for two years, and it's kinda hard to forget about what makes you fight for survival."

Akira laughed somewhat. "I think I can understand that." she said. "Still, it's good to meet you. You'd be surprised how many female Investigators are actually enlisted, so it's a nice change of pace."

"Really? So the CCG is pretty much male-oriented?"

"Pretty much. Although, most of them come from families who wish to protect their spouses and children." Akira explained. But something changed in her eyes as she spoke the latter, as if she was proud of something.

"Really? Like who?"

"My father. He's a Top-Class, though I'd like to think he's on par with a Special Class." she explained. "He's also partnered with someone who's considered Top-Class material. His name is Koutarou Amon."

"Koutarou..." Philia recognized the name. "Oh, I've met him before back at the hospital. He was looking into the incident." Suddenly, her eyes became dark. "...The Ghoul responsible for that mess. He's dead, right?"

Akira took note of her change in demeanor, and nodded in confirmation. "...Yes. Autopsy reports indicate that the culprit behind the massacre is the S-Rated Ghoul, Ripper. However, a large portion of his body, even his Kagune and Kakuhou, are missing, presumably devoured. However, the Chimera-type Ghoul that was supposedly there at the scene of the crime was missing. Most likely, he had escaped."

"So... he was eaten." Philia smiled somewhat, in spite of her rising anger. "Must be karma, being eaten by another Ghoul."

"Cannibalism is rather common, believe it or not, but it seemed more like the Black Ghoul, which is what we are referring to the culprit as for the time being, was suffering from starvation. He must have not had eaten in a long time... confusing, really." Akira noted. "Especially since he was in a hospital."

"Wait...are you saying that he was trying NOT to eat the patients and staff there?" Kotone questioned.

"That seems to be the case. But for what reason, we are unsure. It is almost as if this Ghoul is similar to Shi."

"Shi?"

"An SSS Rated Ghoul that targeted only Ghouls. He's something of a hired gun, you could say. He was captured by Associate Special Class Marude only a few days ago. He was apparently chasing after an unknown Ghoul... who, though, we don't know."

"A Ghoul who only eats other Ghouls...? That's pretty weird."

"Indeed. It confuses us as well. He even stated that he has no wish of harming humans."

'I call bullshit on that,' Kotone thought to herself.

As far as she was concerned, Ghouls were heartless monsters who take pleasure in causing others to suffer and kill humans without any restraint. They are savage beasts who relish in death and bloodshed.

They were no better than Laughing Coffin.

She learned that after Kazuto Kirigaya's demise at the hands of Ripper.

Truly...the world would be better off without these...things...!

"Kotone-chan?"

"...sorry. Just thinking about some morbid stuff."

Akira raised an eyebrow, but relented. "Anyway, starting tomorrow, we'll be working over at the 22nd Ward."

"Is there any special reason?" Philia questioned. "Or is that where we'll be stationed?"

"A bit of both. Recently, a new Ghoul has popped up, and it's earned our attention. From what we understand, it seems to follow the same pattern as Shi... except this one targets humans as well: but so far, the humans he targets are nothing but rotten scum."

"Scum?" she frowned. "How so?"

"They're either drug dealers, rapists, murderers, or gang members."

Kotone's eyes darkened from hearing all those criminals running around. Just how twisted was this world if scum like them were running loose? However, she felt some level of reassurance upon hearing that they all got what they deserved.

"So he is some sort of vigilante poser?" She offered.

"Possibly."

"So... any idea who it is?"

"Somewhat." her partner nodded. "He always leaves behind a mark, a calling card of sorts. It resembles a black bird of some kind, and given his clothing, we refer to him as Crow."

"Crow?" Philia stiffled a chuckle. "What? Like the movie and comics?"

"It's fitting, don't you think?" Akira grinned back. "Only difference is that he's a Ghoul and not a zombie."

"Technically, they don't count as zombies."

"How so?"

From that point onward, while heading for the train station, the two debated over various subjects, mostly relating to old overseas films. Needless to say, Philia was glad she received such an awesome partner.

XXXXXXXXXX

"TYEEEEEAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!"

Iwa remained steadfast as he held his ground, his Quinque easily withstanding the furious and swift barrage Suguha was delivering. It was like watching a nimble warrior take on an immovable giant if you were to make comparisons. Ever since the spar started, Kuroiwa had not moved from where he stood as he deflected and parried every strike Suguha performed, with the girl forced to improvise and change tactics. Already, she ran through several as she tried to attack him from multiple fronts, even deciding to play dirty for once and tried to trip him up. That plan ended in failure, however, as Iwa seemingly expected this, and countered effeciently by knocking her back with a hard strike to the gut.

Sweat poured down her face and her jersey clinging to her rather uncomfortably. Thirty minutes had passed, and still she was nowhere close to defeating him. Hell, she hadn't landed so much as a single strike on him!

'So this...' she thought wearily. 'Is the strength of a Special Class...?'

"Is that it?" Iwa asked her. "Come on. Clear your mind of thought, stand tall, forgo your fears, and focus on the enemy before you. If you hesitate, even take so much as a single step back... you will die where you stand." He jammed his shield-like Quinque into the ground, creating cracks. "Now... come at me! With the intent to kill!"

"K-Kill...?" Suguha backpedaled slightly. Even though she was frustrated in her spar against the man, she didn't want to kill him! In the short time she's known him, he's been something like a kind, yet strict mentor to her. She could never...!

"Yes. Do you not wish to join CCG to slay Ghouls? The monsters who took your cousin away?!"

The words were cold and sharp, and hit home. Suguha bit her lip.

"We have all suffered loss, one way or another!" Iwa spoke volumes of the pain that many had been forced to endure, his body tense and trembling from the memories. "I have watched my comrades fall before my eyes, and I have made sure those responsible pay! Answer me, Suguha Kirigaya!"

"Will you destroy that which has robbed you of your loved one?! Or will you stand there and hide behind others like a coward?! If that is the case... then drop your Quinque and leave!"

"I...I..." The girl bit harder on her lip, threatening to draw blood. Months ago...she learned of her precious cousin's demise at the scene of the crime at the hospital. She grieved for hours...but that despair was replaced by rage and loathing of the race who took him away. When she was given the option of becoming an Investigator, she took it without hesitation.

Memories of her time in Aincrad, and in ALfheim, brought forth intricate memories... and they all had her brother in them.

She bit her lip harshly, enough so that blood was drawn. She hardened her grip around her Quinque, and glared up at the man.

"...You asked for it!"

With that, she charged. Iwa smiled, and prepared himself for the clash.

When Suguha's blade made contact, Iwa felt the heaviness of the strike needed to push him back, albeit slightly.

But the swordstress would not relent as she continuously hacked and slashed away at her tank of an opponent.

Finally...her attacks now had conviction. They had purpose. They had drive!

With a satisfied, and broad grin, Iwa finally went on the offensive rather than sitting and waiting around for Suguha to try and land a strike.

And then she learned just how terrifying a Special Class could be.

Iwa took a chance to go on the offensive. Each attack that she tried to block felt like stopping a speeding truck.

In little time at all, she was being overwhelmed. His speed was unexpected, and the weight of his strikes staggering. Her Quinque, which was more or less some kind of demonic katana with a dark green blade and a glowing, bloody red edge lacking a hilt or guard, was being shoved down with each strike. Even still, she held her ground, and used her own speed to her advantage, along with her kendo training.

It still failed to penetrate his defenses. Suguha bit back a curse, and stepped things up a notch.

'Faster!' she demanded of her body. 'Go faster!'

She forgone precision in her strikes in favor of greater speed. '...faster!' She swung rapidly, her eyes locked onto her target. '...Faster...!' The image of Kirito crossed her mind as she moved, vividly recalling one of his famed combo moves in ALO.

"FASTER!"

Iwa grunted as he began to defend against a flurry of attacks. 'So quick!' he thought in amazement. 'Arima told me that Asuna Yuki had superb speed and strength from being inside of Sword Art Online, but this girl has equal mettle!' His thoughts went back to her cousin, the boy who was killed. 'Kazuto Kirigaya... I wonder what you would think of your cousin, seeing where she is now?'

He knew the boy would feel sad and perhaps furious, seeing his sister figure throwing herself head first into danger simply to try and avenge him, yet Iwa couldn't help but feel that even he would feel impressed and awed by how she performed, and would no doubt feel pride in knowing she had come this far.

"Ooooyaaaarrrggghhhh!" She put her strength into this final swing. She was betting on one last strike to break through his defenses.

The strike created a shockwave that caused the world to shudder for only a brief moment. Iwa's body faltered for only a slight moment, his leg bending forward and down to his knee. 'Such strength!'

In that moment of weakness, Suguha managed to break through his iron-clad defenses. The shield-like Quinque was moved away only a few inches, and aimed directly for his shoulder. Iwa, however, proved to be a veteran, and to her shock, grabbed the blade with his bare hand. It stopped just short of the fabric, held tightly in place with an iron-clad grip. Suguha was stunned, even more so when she saw Iwa staring at her with a satisfied smile, despite the fact that blood was flowing out of his hand.

"...Well done, Kirigaya."

"A-Arigatou!" The young girl relaxed her stance and dropped her weapon as the man let go. She bowed in appreciation of the compliment, her previous feelings of bloodlust forgotten.

"Still, I must admit, I didn't think you could be so terrifying." the old yet spry warrior chuckled. "I'll say this, I pity the poor Ghoul who pisses you off. If I didn't know any better, I thought I was looking at Shi in his younger days."

"Shi?"

"A Ghoul I met in the past. He's an oddball, really. Never targets humans, only Ghouls. Something personal, I'd wager. Either way, he's ranked as SSS-Rated. A shame he was captured, though." Iwa sighed. "I still had to return the favor for saving my ass from the Dutchman half a year ago. Ah, oh welll... I can always settle for a poker game when I visit him."

Suguha stared at her superior in silence. He...just acts so casual. Even when he says he wants to play poker with a Ghoul prisoner.

'One moment he's a terrifying juggernaut, the next he's a reminiscing old man.'

Truly, the mind of Kuroiwa was a strange thing indeed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rika stared at her superior/partner with unsure eyes, as if unable to ascertain who she was looking at. "...You're a lot older than what I was expecting." she remarked.

Taishi Fura shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, I've been called worse." he replied casually, taking a long drag of his cigarette. "So, you're Rika Shinozaki, right?"

"Hai," she nodded. "Though I prefer Lisbeth, or just Liz."

"Handle I take it?"

"Best blacksmith in ALfheim." she declared with pride, puffing out her chest.

"Really now? Is that a fact, or a self-proclaimed title?"

"Hey! Call it what you want, but I'm proud of it!" She snapped.

"Sorry. Didn't mean it like that. Just curious." The man shrugged as he blew out a plume of smoke.

Lisbeth sighed, shaking her head. She honestly couldn't make neither heads nor tails of this man. He may have looked like a middle-aged man, but there was something about him that just seemed... off. Almost like a contradiction.

"So, you have any experience dealing with monsters outside of video games?" Fura asked her at point bank. She shook her head. "Huh... Well, in that case, you'll learn fast. Just try not to die. This job usually leaves more widows than you think."

"...I'll keep that in mind." Rika nodded, letting the words sink in. She knew that this job had a high mortality rate the moment she learned of it. However...she just couldn't stop herself from joining if it meant a chance for revenge against the guy who killed Kirito.

"...Also, keep personal feelings out of your job." Her eyes widened. How the hell did he-?! "A lot of people join this gig because they want revenge for their loved ones... and 9 times out of ten, they all end up either buried six feet under, or inside a Ghoul's stomach. So word to the wise, unless you want to join your friend in the afterlife, just fight to survive. It won't be any different from SAO."

The girl just stared at this man in awe. In contrast to his rugged appearance, he was actually a wise individual. Huh...guess you can't judge a book by its cover.

Even still, she felt a little pissed about what he said earlier about Kirito. "R-right." Rika nodded. "Um... by the way, sir?"

"Just call me Fura, kid. Sir makes me feel older than I already am."

"Uh... Fura-san... What exactly will we be doing?"

Fura took a quick drag of his smokes before he blew out another smoke. "We're helping Investigators Kotone and Akira in the 22nd Ward. Apparently, a Ghoul's been showing up... and if you ask me, it's just like the guy who decided to have Ripper for lunch."

Internally, Rika was relieved. She would be working with one of her friends. However, the latter portion of what the Investigator said caught her attention. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that this guy has been killing and eating the scum on this earth. Drug dealers, murderers, rapists...gang members..." He hesitated on the last word before returning to his stern demeanor. "...the works."

Her eyes widened in shock. "S-seriously?"

"Yeah. Because of what he leaves behind, and his fashion statement, we refer to him as the Crow." A sighed escaped him. "He's an interesting one. Being a member of the Clowns and a vigilante... kinda makes you wonder if he's related to the Phantom."

"Uh...huh..." the brunette girl said slowly before frowning. "Are all Ghouls weirdos?"

"Most of them are." he told her. "Anyway, let's get going."

"Hai!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Well done." Raijuu smiled pleasantly as the group returned. "I assume the mission went as planned."

"Heh, more than that, Raijuu-sama." Yamori grinned widely. "We didn't leave so much as a single bastard left... a shame, though, If you woulda let me, I would have taken one of them as a souvenir. Then you could watch me play around with him some."

"Please, don't tempt me, Yamori." he told him. "It's already hard to resist imagining such a spectacle and watching as a maggot begs for mercy."

Ayato groaned in irritation. "Whatever, can we get on with this meeting?" he asked. "Seriously! I'm bored to death here! No disrespect, Raijuu-sama, but those were some fucking pushovers!"

"All in due time, Ayato-kun." the young man assured him. "All in due time."

The meeting had yet to begin. Not everyone was present in the room. They were still waiting on Noro and Tatara. Both had another assignment in another ward by orders of the King.

"My, they're rather late." Nico commented. "How long will they be gone?"

"Probably a while, given Noro-sama's appetite." Yamori chuckled. "Still makes me wonder how the hell that skinny bastard can eat so much? He puts binge eaters to shame."

"Well, I won't deny that..." Raijuu nodded. "However, given his abilities, Noro needs to eat a large amount. At any rate, Tatara said we can begin the meeting without him."

"Eeeeeh?" the feminine man said with surprise. "That's a rare thing for someone as strict as Tatara-kun to do!"

"Indeed, but given the importance of the matter, there's not much to discuss."

"Really? Well, what is it you wanted to share with us?"

"That is..."

"You needn't speak, Raijuu." a voice called out from the darkness. "After all... this matter is quite intricate, is it not?"

Raijuu displayed shock and surprised, turning to the unknown figure in the darkness. The others grew disturbed and tensed up. The Ghoul smiled, however, as he nodded his head.

"Of course... You're Excellency."

Then, the figure stepped out of the darkness. Everyone, sans Raijuu, froze when their eyes met the newcomer's form. Their reactions varied.

The Bin Brothers felt every morcel in their bones shiver in fright, and wanted to bolt out of there like a bat out of hell.

Nico was close to passing out from excitement.

Ayato took a step back, sweat pouring down his face like a waterfall.

Yamori looked like Christmas had just come early.

The new figure was wearing a tattered robe around his tall frame, with worn and beaten clothes underneath. Long and messy black hair spilled out from his head and through his hood, reaching down to his shoulder blades. However, it was the mask itself that was the most horrifying piece of his attire. It had black holes for eyes, resembling sockets, and a wide toothy grin that reaches to either side of his face.

However, it was the heavy, potent stench of blood, both of human and Ghoul, coming off of him and daunting presence that make the atmosphere to tense.

"W-who the fuck are you?!" Ayato snarled.

Raijuu lost all pretense and posture of kindness, rage and fury fully expressed on his face. "Ayato Kirishima, you will hold your tongue this instant!" he snarled with absolute venom.

Strangely, the newcomer laughed. "It is fine, Raijuu..." he assured him, his tone baritone and smooth like brass. "I did not mean to startle anyone here... but, given your recent accomplishments, and how highly regarded you are from what Raijuu has told me, I thought I would come to see you in person."

Yamori was obviously the first to recognize him, simply by the smell and his psoture. "You are him, aren't you?" he asked with a tone of reverence. "It-it is an honor, Your Excellency."

"And it is a pleasure, Yakumo Oomori... or rather, Jason of the 13th Ward." the figured nodded. "Allow me to introduce myself...

"...I am the One-Eyed King. It is a pleasure to meet all of you."

"...!" To those who were unfamiliar with the man, it felt as if a bomb had been dropped inside the very room. They have never seen the One Eyed King before...but they have heard tales of his power, charisma, ferocity, and bloodlust.

And to think...that very being is now in the same room as them. The Ghouls who stood before now knelt before their King.

"F-f-forgive me, Y-Your Excellency!" Ayato cried out. It was out of both respect and fear. Here, the strongest of them all stood... and he did not disappoint. Just the overbearing smell of blood, along with the contained bloodlust that rolled off him in spades, was enough to nearly make him prostrate himself like a damned fool and plead for salvation. "I-I didn't-!"

"It is fine, Ayato Kirishima." the King told him with a shrug of his hand. "Rise, all of you. I will not have any comrade of mine prostrate himself before me like some damned fool."

The Ghouls unfamiliar of the king were surprised by his benevolence. They assumed that due to the menacing aura he projected, he would be a cruel being who demanded reverence. Immediately, they all stood on their feet, but maintained a respectful stance toward their leader.

"So, to what do owe this pleasure, Your Excellency?" Nico asked. "After all, from what I assumed, you didn't care for such mundane events or people like us."

The King chuckled heartedly. "Rightfully so... but given the situation, I thought that this would be the best time." Instantly, a moment later, his voice became cold. "From here on out, the only ones you will follow are myself, Raijuu, and Tatara. Am I understood."

"Hai, Your Excellency." Yamori nodded, a large grin on his face. "So then, what do you ask of us?"

The leader of Aogiri was silent for a while, gathering his thoughts. "...We have all gone through hardship, myself included." he spoke in a whisper. "All of us, outcasts of this blackened society society. We've been labelled as monsters, freaks... abominations." A snarl escaped him. "The humans think of us as mere abhorrent beasts without a sense of morality. They think of us as mindless vermin who know only to feast on their flesh. And who is to blame for that? It is not humans... but the ones who rally them to take up arms."

The King turned to face them, his bloodlust leaking out. "The Wasshu have labelled us as threats and monsters... if that is the case, then why not show them just how monstrous we can be?" He spread his arms out. "From this point onward, we'll show those misguided fools no mercy. Show them none, and leave them begging for their lives, just as our bretheren have when faced down upon the blade of death."

"As of this moment," the One-Eyed King roared. "I declare war on the Wasshu Family-no... on the entirety of the Commission of Counter Ghoul!"

The room fell in silence in a mixture of reactions. Some grinned madly in bloodlust, some smiled in amusement, while others were shocked from this lofty proclamation.

War on the CCG? war on the group that killed so many of their kind...?

...How Exhilarating...!

'This is absolutely glorious!' Nico thought, trembling from the very thought of it. 'Hahahahaaha! What fun! It's like a carnival! Oh, to think the One-Eyed King would be so... so hilarious! War on humans?! HAHAHAHAHAH! Oh, if only the others could hear this!'

"War..." Yamori cackled. "Hahahahaha! I never thought I'd hear those words in all my life! Oh, the fun I'll have! Your Excellency, will I be able to...?!"

"Feel free to toy with them as you see fit, Yakumo Oomori."

Ayato felt his body shaking, and his mouth twisting into a grin. "Finally... Finally!"

Finally...this was Ayato's chance! He will finally get a chance to fight better opponents! The ghouls he fought up to now were nothing but a pack of weaklings! But an Investigator...an Investigator can truly test his skills and determine how strong he has become!

Not only that... if all went well... he could kill the bastard who made Aneki's life a living hell!

The Bin Brothers were most certainly looking forward to it. They joined Aogiri simply because it meant getting back at the Investigators for thinking that they were mere chump change or pests that needed to be exterminated. A war on the CCG was just the thing they hoped for.

Raijuu was smirking.

He could feel the rising morale and bloodlust from his subordinates at the King's words. This was just what they all needed. They all had a new mission...the eradication of the detested CCG!

The One Eyed Dragon was grinning madly in anticipation. He looked over to his leader in reverence and gratitude. To Raijuu, the One Eyed King is the beacon of hope that could rend the twistedness in this world. He is the savior of their kind. Only the One Eyed King is able to destroy this tainted world and recreate it anew!

'Soon...' he thought with glee. 'Soon, the world we want... will come to fruition!'

XXXXXXXXXX

"H-hello," the girl bowed humbly to the two. "M-my name is Sachiko Murayase, b-but please, call me Sachi."

The timid girl introduced herself to the staff at Anteiku. Kirito stood next to her while Touka and Kaneki stood a bit further back behind the duo. After Kirito saved her, he got on his knees and apologized excessively to the girl. Neither teen had ever seen the Black Swordsman like this. First it was an episode of lethal, berserker rage, now it was complete remorse and sorrow.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sachi-san." Yoshimura said kindly, bowing his head. "I am Yoshimura, the manager of the cafe. I heard from Touka that you went through quite the ordeal, so please, try to relax here."

"A-arigato."

The dark haired girl bowed again. The girl was still trying to take in everything that happened thus far. Not too long ago, Kirito had saved her from pushy gang members. But the way he had done it instilled some unease into her. No human was capable of indenting a wall like that with a person's body. And her suspicions were confirmed when he saw that one eye...

That being said, she wasn't scared at all.

Even though he had the eye of a Ghoul...how he acted afterward solidified the fact that it really was Kirito. She understands that Ghouls are the hunters of mankind, heartless monsters who prey on the weak, but she knew Kirito was not like that.

After all, he had tried to save them in the past. He had done everything he could. If it weren't for him, she wasn't sure if she or the others would have survived out in that forest. Even though she ended up being killed in the game, she saw how hard he tried for them.

That was all she needed.

When he got on his knees, cried his heart out, and apologized, she knelt down and wrapped her arms around him. He had endured so much pain and suffering...and it was all her fault. When she was killed in that dungeon, she had no idea that torment he had carried for nearly a year. It wasn't Kirito who should be begging her for forgiveness...it was the other way around.

"Hm..."

Sachi fidgeted somewhat when Koma leaned in somewhat, a hand on his chin. From what she understood, the shy boy with the eyepatch, Kaneki-san, and the intimidating girl, Touka-san, were Ghouls as well, so she assumed those who worked at Anteiku were also Ghouls. Being stared at so intently was certainly enough to make her squirm on the spot.

"Koma-san," Kirito said, getting in front of her rather protectively. "What are you doing?"

"...Damn, talk about lucky." Koma's face broke out into a large grin. "Nice score~ She's pretty cute. So, you two out on a honeymoon?"

"Wh-what?!" Both teens' faces lit up in a furious blush. "I-it's not like that!" Both denied with a shake of their heads. Seriously...what was Koma thinking...? Kirito had a girlfriend for crying out loud! Man...if Asuna saw this...

'...that's gonna be one long conversation, me being a Ghoul aside..' he groaned at the thought.

"Eh?" a disappointed frown formed on his face. "So she's not your girlfriend?"

"N-no! Her name is Asuna!" Kirito snapped. "Good grief...!"

"K-Kirito-san and I are just friends!" Sachi insisted, her face still painted pink.

"Ah...I see...I guess I misunderstood." The man nodded.

"Yeah you did!"

"Still, you two look pretty good together!"

"DAMMIT KOMA!" Kirito yelled at the man. The situation quickly grew comedic...so much to the point that Sachi was unable to stifle her giggles.

Touka smirked at the sight, as if finding it to be karma while Kaneki chuckled lightly. Yoshimura smiled somewhat, a hand at his chin. "My word, you're quite the lively bunch, aren't you?" he asked as he placed a cup of coffee on the counter. "Here, this should calm the nerves."

"Ah...thank you..." Sachi accepted the cup graciously. She tipped it to her lips and let the hot fluid fill her taste buds.

"Aaaah..." she exhaled, a smile of content on her round face. "This is wonderful."

"Thank you, Sachiko-san."

"It's pretty good huh?" Kirito asked her.

"Mm." She nodded eagerly.

"Um, S-Sachi-san..." Kaneki spoke up. "Y-you were in SAO with Kirigaya-san, right? T-then, were you...?"

Sachi shook her head. "No, I..."

"Oh yeah...How...how are you even here...?" Kirito asked tentatively, just realizing the situation. The girl had perished before her eyes...how was she alive...? "I...I saw you die...your NervGear should've...it should've..." He couldn't bring himself to say it.

Sachi frowned somewhat at the mention of the subject. "I... I don't really know myself. According to my parents, and the men who came to see me, there was something about my NervGear that seemed... faulty."

"Faulty?" the geeky teen repeated, frowning. "...Sachi, by any chance, the NervGear... when did you buy it?"

"Hm... I think when it was first released to the public, so... three years before SAO was released."

"So it was one of the earlier models." Kirito nodded. "That must explain why. When the NervGear was first released, it received some pretty bad reception because of bad network connections, lagging, or just downright horrible software. It wasn't until Kayaba stated that he had purposely released faulty hardware because of a project he was working on."

"I think I know about it." Kaneki chimed. "According to an interview featured in a famitsu article, Akihiko-san said that, by receiving critical reviews, he was essentially gathering data on it, using everyone who ever bought the NervGear as beta testers in a sense. It wasn't until a month later in another interview that he announced Sword Art, the first ever Virtual Reality MMMORPG game, set exclusively for the NervGear."

"And at that point, he had already gathered enough data to refine the mechanics of the system, resulting in improved connection, high speed processing, and superior software. Because of this, he was confident enough for his control in the Death Game to be reassured."

"So then, her NervGear is one of the older models?" Touka questioned. Kirito nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "It would make sense. The most probable thing to think is that her NervGear must have malfunctioned within the ten second timeframe of when her Avatar was destroyed, and when the NervGear registered it. It takes that much time for the NervGear to fry someone's brain."

"So most likely...it's due to the first generation NervGear's flaws that she managed to survive that game even when her avatar died?" Kaneki offered.

"Yeah...that seems to be the case."

"In that case...the girl has got some Devil's luck."

"I-I wouldn't go that far..." Sachi said weakly, a small smile on her face before turning to Kirito. "And... Kirito-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." she told him. "For trying to save us"

The raven haired teen's eyes widened. Thank...you...? He...he didn't deserve such a thing. He tried to save them...but he was unable to...It was because of him...Ducker...Keita...all of them were killed!

"Sachi... I..." he looked down at his hands, unable to look her in the eye. How could he, after everything that transpired?

"Kirito-kun, please... stop blaming yourself." Sachi told him gently, taking a hold of his hands. "It wasn't your fault that all of us died..."

"B-but I..."

"Won't you just try, at least once?" she asked him. "Won't you try to forgive yourself, if only a little?"

"I...but I..." He continued to look to the ground.

"Kirito-kun. Look at me." Sachi told him firmly.

The boy was unable to.

A gentle hand came to his face, pulling it upward. Sachi looked at him, her face oddly serious. It reminded him of the Sachi he encountered in the Hollow Area, the Sachi who had the will that the shy girl had lacked. "Kirito-kun, it's alright." she told him. "You couldn't have known what would happen, even at your level."

"B-but..."

"But nothing." She shook her head. "I know you kept your level hidden from us to protect us..."

"Even still..." he bit his lip. "If... If I hadn't kept it a secret, then maybe... then maybe none of you would have..."

"Enough." She cut her off. "That's enough, Kirito-kun. Stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault. It never was!"

"Sachi…"

"I'm serious Kirito-kun."

For a while, the boy was silent. He continued to stare at her for the longest time, as if trying to find something in her words, or in her eyes.

He wondered if this was how Asuna felt when he had told her about what had happened in the Hollow Area, when he met an AI version of Sachi.

At first, he did not know what to make of the initial meeting. But all he felt was a desperate hope that Sachi somehow survived.

Inside, however, he knew it was a false hope to hold on to. When someone dies in the game, they would die in the real world. It was a fact, and it was undisputed. No matter how much Kirito wanted to believe it was her, the Sachi he met in the HA was not the Sachi that was in front of him now.

They were completely different people. One was composed solely of data, while the one before him was real flesh and bone. She was alive.

Just a few hours ago, he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him...but he still believed it to be her nonetheless.

This was Sachi, the girl he tried to protect... and failed. It was like the universe of the digital world was slapping him in the face, telling him to remember his mistakes from Sword Art Online.

"... still, if I hadn't kept it a secret..." Kirito's body shook. "If I... if I had just been stronger, then... maybe... maybe I could have...!"

"That's enough!" She spoke sternly. Kirito flinched from the volume of her words. "Will you please stop blaming yourself like this? I keep telling you that it wasn't your fault!"

"B-but I- OW!"

Kirito yelped when a heel slammed into his head, causing a lump to form. Sachi reeled back in shock, eyes wide as she turned to the attacker. Touka's face was one of annoyance, her heel lifted in the air with her arms crossed. Kaneki looked surprised by the action, and also worried for Kirito, while the others didn't seem so worried.

"Dammit, Dobe-Shima!" the black-haired teen growled. "What the hell was that for?!"

"For being such an emo bastard, that's what!" she snapped, causing him to flinch. "You're a fucking broken record! I don't know what happened in SAO, but for God's sake, man up and stop whining like a bitch in the middle of her fucking period!"

"You don't understand...You have no idea what the hell I've done!" he yelled arguably.

"Maybe not...but that doesn't give you the excuse to be some sort of Emo whiner, always being sorry for himself instead of just moving on!"

That remark certainly hit home, causing Kirito to sink back in his seat.

"You think I haven't been through hell?!" Touka snarled. "I dunno what sort of shit you had to go through, but I guarantee you, the hell I was forced to live in was a thousand times worse. All you've done is just set one foot in it, so you don't have the fucking RIGHT to complain, got that... human?"

"..." Kirito remained silent.

"...That's what I thought. Don't think you're the only one who has endured hell. Look at us." She gestured to the rest of Anteiku. "We all have bad blood in our pasts."

"U-um, T-Touka-chan..." Kaneki stuttered. "D-don't you think you're being a bit too harsh on Kirigaya-san? I mean... he just reunited with someone he thought died."

"That still doesn't give Kuro-Baka the right to whine like a little bitch." she huffed.

"What did you call me?!" Kirito shot out of his seat, his eyes narrowed into a fierce glare.

"You heard me. You were complaining so much for the past half hour I thought I had to rip my own ears off! You just wouldn't shut up!"

"Why you...!"

"What? Wanna go, Kuro-baka?" she taunted, flashing her Kakugan. "You couldn't take me on, even in a hundred years. Hell, you don't even know how to use your Kagune."

"Don't tempt me, Touka..." Kirito snarled. "I am not in the best mood right now!"

"H-hey, wait a minute!" Kaneki immediately saw what was about to happen, and got between the two. "C-c'mon, there's no reason to fight! E-especially not in front of Sachiko-chan!"

"Move it, halfer." Touka warned. "Otherwise, you're gonna get throttled."

"Kaneki, stand aside." Kirito glared harshly, his own Kakugan flaring. "I'm just about to beat the shit out of her! All you've done, ever since I got here, is treat me like shit! I'm totally sick of it!"

"And what'cha gonna do, huh?! Keep on whining?!"

"You're asking for it, Dobe-Shima!"

"ENOUGH!" The human girl cried, causing everyone to turn at the source of the loud voice.

"Please stop this! Aren't you supposed to be friends?!"

"Me? Friends with this idiot?" Touka scoffed. "Get your eyes checked, brat... Ghouls don't have friends, and do you know why? Because of people like YOU."

Kirito whirled on her, furious. "Leave her out of this, Touka!"

"Then keep your pet on a leash!"

"THAT'S IT!"

Kaneki's eyes widened in fright when he saw Touka form a scowl, flowing wings forming out of her back. Kirito lunged. 'No!' he thought in panic. Unbeknownst to him, his left eye formed into a Kakugan. 'No!

"STOP!"

Suddenly, he felt his back flare in pain.

"STOP THIS!" The timid boy leaped forward, unaware of his own body moving. Within his peripheral vision, crimson red tendrils shot out from either side of his and intercepted both Kirito and Touka before they could clash.

The tendrils pierced through the wings, destroying them as they crystallized. Another pair pierced into Kirito's wrists, slamming him into the wall and keeping him pinned there.

"Wha-?!"

"Khe-!"

Both teens winced in pain as the sharp appendages impaled their bodies. Touka placed a hand to her back over her damaged Ukaku wings while Kirito grit his teeth in pain as he bled from his wrists, his fingers numb and unmoving.

"Please stop this! I don't want you guys to fight! Aren't we all supposed to be friends?"

"Didn't you just hear a fucking word I-"

"And I don't care!" Kaneki shouted, causing the girl to step back. That had been the first time he had raised his voice. "I never asked to become a Ghoul, and neither did Kirigaya-san! We don't know how harsh it is, and despite that, he's been through hell! I may not know what it's like, living like a Ghoul, but..." He clenched his fists tightly as the tendrils receded, removing themselves from Kirito's wrists. The gamer fell to the floor, the holes beginning to repair themselves. "That doesn't mean we can't have a life of our own! Nor does it mean we can't let our own troubles get to us! It's... it's not..."

"It's not right...!"

"...Well put, Kaneki-kun." Yoshimura smiled, patting the boy on the shoulder. "Kirigaya, Touka, the two of you should follow his example."

The girl's eyes widened. "What?! You can't be-"

"Touka," he cut her off, his voice having lost it's gentle softness, replaced with only a cold, iron edge that made everyone in the room, sans Koma and Kaya, flinch and shiver. "You of all people should understand what I'm getting at."

Touka bit her lip, knowing full well what the man was referring to. Her mind drifted back to the past where she had lost not one...but two people precious to her.

"And Kirigaya-kun, do try to keep your temper in check." Yoshimura advised the boy as he rubbed his wrists. "And please, try to understand... You were not the only one who's lost people close to you."

"...I understand. I am sorry for my brash behavior." The boy hung his head in defeat.

"Sachiko-san, I do apologize for all of this." the old man bowed his head deeply. "Today has been... rather stressful."

"I...I can tell." Sachi nodded with some unease. She was still wrapping her mind around what Kaneki had just done. But she didn't let it scare her as she knew he was just trying to stop the conflict.

"Well, I trust everything is done?" he asked. "If so... I trust I won't see another incident like this again."

"Yes, Yoshimura-san." The two ghouls nodded.

"Good."

"And, Kaneki-kun?"

"H-hai...?"

"Try to be more careful where you use your kagune." he advised with a warm smile. "Even if we are closed right now, one can never be too careful."

The artificial One-Eye realized what he meant. Even though the doors were closed to the public, there may have been random people passing by by chance. He nearly risked exposing them all. "R-right. I'm sorry..."

"It's alright, just be more careful in the future." Yoshimura said before looking back at the two. "Now then... while I do believe the both of you have learned your lesson, that still does not change the fact that you had just outright nearly started a brawl, not only in the presence of a human, but in MY shop no less."

Suddenly, Touka's body went slack, her eyes wide, and all the color in her face bled away to reveal a pasty white. Her body trembled as the old man glared at the two, his Kakugan exposed. Even Kirito felt terrified for what was about to happen.

"I trust..." he said coldly. "You know the consequences."

"...We're fucked, aren't we?"

"...Yeah, we are."

XXXXXXXXXX

Asuna had to admit, Cochlea was not like how it was portrayed in the news networks.

On the media, the Ghoul detainment center was described to be a filthy prison harboring the most vile of the monsters as they are kept for interrogation then execution. However...that wasn't completely the case. Contrary to belief, Cochlea was a rather clean and high-tech maximum security center that was colored a sleek white. There were multiple levels in the building, stretching far underground. And the holding cells for the high rated Ghouls were not the standard iron bar cells, but metal boxes embedded inside the walls with only a controlled sliding door for access.

All in all...it was a rather impressive sight.

"Rather bleak and dreary, despite how impressive looks, isn't it?" Arima asked, walking steadily in front of her. "No matter how many times I come here, it always looks so gloomy. Then again, I suppose Ghouls would feel the same way, being locked up here."

"I-I guess." Asuna replied, still breathless. She could never have imagined that THIS was where Ghouls would end up when captured. "H-how many Ghouls are in here?"

"To be honest, I lost count after two hundred."

The Vice Commander of the KoB's eyes widened "T-two hundred..." That was both an impressive, and staggering number. She glanced down at the ground, seeing the bars and giant square cells that stood tall and proud. "There are that many...?"

"Yes, and we're about to visit their latest addition."

"Who?"

Arima smiled somewhat. "...an old friend."

"...Eh?" Asuna could only mutter that one word. An...old friend...? What did he mean? A...Ghoul was his friend?

Impossible.

"We're here."

The room itself was wide, with a single wall bearing plexiglass keeping the Ghoul and the Investigator separate. The room's occupant was present, lounging in a cot that hung close to the corner of the room on his side. He looked rather shabby, probably around the same age as Arima, with a cold yet lonesome face with dark eyes and messy black hair that fell to his shoulders. He wore a blue prison outfit of some kind, though there were no shackles at all. In his hand was a book, The Deathly Hollows from the Harry Potter series if she recalls.

Arima stepped inside, Asuna following suit. The doors closed behind them. "...It's been a while, Shijo."

The Ghoul stopped, his finger ready to turn the page when a small smile broke across his face. He folded the corner, and closed the book shut. "...It's been a long time since I was called that name." the Ghoul said as he turned to face the white-haired Investigator. "Hello, Kishou."

"...How have you been these past few years? And how is Minami doing?" The Reaper of CCG questioned.

"She's been doing well. Although she'll probably kill me for being thrown in her when she hears of it..." He shrugged.

"That sounds exactly like her."

Asuna blinked rapidly, watching as the most feared man in all the Commission of Counter Ghoul and this Ghoul, likely S rated or higher, were chatting away. "Uh, A-Arima-san... who is this?"

"This is Shijo Kawasaki, or rather, Shi." her superior informed her. "An old friend back when I was your age."

"So, you finally got a new partner, huh?" Shi commented. "And a young one too... Did she lose someone precious to a Ghoul as well?"

"Her lover."

Shi sighed, shaking his head. "And they wonder why humans despise us Ghouls so. I've said it before, and I will say it again: sometimes I wish I was born a human. Too much shit for a Ghoul, you know?"

"I'm fully aware of that. Also, Fura sends his regards."

Shi raised an eyebrow. "I thought he wanted to have my head on a platter still when I saved Minami, considering, well, you know..."

"He does, but he has mellowed out some. Although, he did want you to send a message to Minami as well."

"Let me guess, 'I'll kill you if I find you,' right?"

Arima smiled somewhat. "Something like that."

"Hahaha...Yeah...that guy hasn't changed THAT much." The Ghoul chuckled.

"Indeed."

Asuna was lost in all of this...

...Just what the hell was going on?! Why was her superior interacting with a dangerous Ghoul so casually?! It...just didn't make sense!

"If you keep your mouth open, you'll let a fly in." Shi advised, causing her to snap out fo her daze. "And the reason Kishou and I are friends is because, well..." he shrugged, gesturing to said Investigator. "Does he ACT normal to you?"

"...No, he really doesn't."

"Exactly." the Ghoul nodded. "He's just as weird as the next Ghoul, and sadly, I'm not really much of an exception."

"I am here, you know." Arima reminded him.

"You should ask me if I care," Shi rebuked. "So, I doubt this is a social visit, considering you brought your partner with you. A girl who lost her boyfriend? That's asking for her to grab her Quinque and barge inside this cell to skewer me, so that leaves one other option: interrogation."

Arima pushed up his glasses. "...The Ghoul you were fighting with. Who was he?"

"A scum above all scum." the black-haired man frowned. "He murdered several Investigators. I figured I might as well earn those men some peace for doing their duty."

"...Get real." Asuna scowled, her nails digging into the base of her palms. "Your kind are nothing but-"

"Cannibalistic murderers? Freaks? Abominations? Monsters? Demons?" he offered, cutting her off. "Kid, do you know what I wish for the most?"

"No, what?" she humored him. She could have never expected the answer.

"For every last one of us to die a horrible death."

"...Eh...?" Her mind just froze from the blunt answer. "Wh…what?"

"Like I said. I just want every last of us Ghouls to perish in the worst way possible." He repeated.

"...What?!" Asuna still couldn't comprehend this. What was this Ghoul saying?!

"I mean what I said. Despite the fact I was born as a Ghoul, I truly detest my own kind. Who are we to take the lives of beings so much like us...all for what? Nourishment? Amusement? or based on a whim? It all sickens me...Why should we be the slaughterers of the human race? And why humans? They are a race that had progressed so much in the time they have existed on this earth. Knowledge, fine arts, sports, medicine, technology, media, everything! All of this was because of humans."

"My point, girl," Shi continued. "Is that my kind are nothing but monsters who deserve nothing short but a fate befitting our crimes. And don't tell me you don't think so as well."

Well, he certainly had her there. She wanted them dead and gone. All of them. It wasn't fair to her that she and the others lost Kirito, all because of their sick amusement and hunger. It wasn't right.

"...You really haven't changed, Shijo." Arima noted, staring at his old friend. "Even back then, you still wished you were dead. And yet, you saved Minami, despite the fact she went everything you believed in."

Shi smiled wryly. "Idiots do stupid things for love... not like I'd expect you to. You haven't even found yourself a girlfriend yet."

"That is beside the point." The man stoically brushed off the subject.

"Haa...man...you keep acting like this, and you'll be single forever." Shi shook his head in exasperation.

"That's the last thing I need to hear from you." Arima replied back coolly before returning to the subject at hand. "Anyway, that Ghoul you were after... what was his name? Or at least his alias?"

"Jail," Shi answered. "I'd guess he would be SS-Rated at most. His strength is insane, and his use of a Kagune is almost terrifying. He's killed over twenty Investigators, five of which were Top-Class."

"Really now?" Arima raised his eyebrow in intrigue while Asuna only gaped in shock. The Ghoul Jail killed...that many Investigators? A quarter of them being Top Class?!

Just how powerful was he...?

"At any rate, it was because the bastard gave me the slip that I'm now sitting in this cell."

"And yet you could have escaped." the white-haired male pointed out. "After all, Marude is..." he hesitated as he looked over his shoulder briefly, and at the camera at the corner of the room before whispeing, "A blithering idiot."

Shi ended up laughing. "W-well, he certainly is, but Jail ended up getting the better of me, so I really couldn't fight them off all that well. Anyway, I dunno where he is now. What I do know, is that he is no joke."

"And you are saying there is a chance that Jail would be going after the CCG?"

"Possibly. I mean...he does enjoy wreaking havoc."

"Hm... interesting." the Reaper noted, filing that information in his head. "Is there something else I should know?"

"Yeah... though it's more or less nothing but a rumor."

"Well, something is better than nothing. Let's hear it."

"...the One-Eyed King is making his move." Shi's face turned deathly serious. "Every Ghoul in the 24th Ward is on edge, and even worse, they're all getting ready for something."

"And what is that?"

"War, Kishou." he said with a terrifying chilliness. "The One-Eyed King is preparing for War."

"What do you mean?" Arima asked again, this time in a grave tone.

"Do I really need to spell it out? He's preparing for war against the CCG!"

XXXXXXXXXX

When Ryouko and her daughter, Hinami, arrive at Anteiku, she had come across the most bizarre sight she had ever seen in all of her life.

Neither female had any words to respond to this...strange situation.

"U-um, Yoshimura-san, isn't this a bit... extreme?"

"Not really. Given Kaya and Koma's work experience, this is a rather light punishment for them."

"Y-you can do it, Kirito-kun!"

The sight was... weird... to say the least.

Both teens were suspended mid-air upside down, their bodies tied up with rope. Both of their arms were fully extended to either side of them, holding onto buckets filled with water.

"Um..." Hinami spoke up quietly, staring at the sight with idle curiosity and confusion. "Should we... come back later?"

The old man, likely Yoshimura, turned around and smiled. "Oh, no, this is just a simple punishment." he told the two. "They caused a little trouble."

The raven-haired boy was gritting his teeth, trying to keep his arms from failing him while the blue-haired girl seemed to be doing fairly well, sweat dripping down her face.

"I-I see..." Ryouko nodded hesitantly. "You are... Yoshimura-san? My husband mentioned you on the phone.

"Yes. You must be Asaki's wife, Ryouko." He then nodded to the girl next to her. "And this must be Hinami. Nice to meet both of you."

"H-hello." the shy girl nodded her head.

"H-hey there...!" Kirito struggled to say without breaking his concentration. But his voice sounded congested due to the blood rushing to his head.

"...talk to you later." Touka said through clenched teeth.

"...Will they be okay?" Kaneki asked as he walked in. "I mean, it's been nearly an hour since they were like that."

"This isn't exactly Touka's first time." Koma remarked. "Although, I am impressed. Kazuto's lasting longer than I thought he would."

"Yeah. I honestly thought that he would crack after the first ten minutes." Irimi agreed.

"Still...this can't be good for either of them. I mean...look how red their faces are."

"Touka sees this as training in a way" the man stated. "Although, in reality, the punishment ends when the buckets drop."

Kirito's eyes widened when he heard this, the buckets dropping to the floor in a clatter. "WHAT?!" he cried. "You telling me I could have ended this if I had just dropped them?!"

Irimi giggled. "Pretty much. Like Koma said, this is training in a way."

"Seriously?! Why didn't you guys tell me that an hour ago?!"

"Oh, come now, Kirigaya-kun." Yoshimura chuckled into his hand. "It made good exercise, no?"

"You know, for an old man, you really are a devil!"

"I'll take that as a compliment." The man grinned in amusement.

"Ha...Can someone please get me down from here?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Dammit, where the hell did he go?!"

"Don't just stand there! Find him! He couldn't have gotten far!"

"We can't let him escape! Search the area!"

The Investigators scurried around like rats in search of their target...one that had eluded them 30 times now.

Once again...the Phantom is a difficult one to nab.

And speaking of such elusive rats, said thief was lounging about on the rafters, his back laying against the wooden beam while his hands rested behind his head, his legs crossed.

"Buncha suckers," he grinned. "They'd actually do their jobs better if they looked!"

"You know, man, you can be one scary dude sometimes."

"Like you aren't, Ryuji?" he snarked back to his companion. "Oh, wait, it's Kidd, right?"

The figure in the shadows stepped out in the moonlight, revealing himself to be a teenage boy around Takeshi's age. However, he had short, spiky blonde hair and brown eyes seen through the metal skull mask that only covered the upper half of his face. He was garbed in dark clothing, consisting of a leather jacket with an upturned collar, a black t-shirt, and black pants with metal knee guards. Looped around his waist was a black belt with a metal skull buckle. Around his neck was a red neck tie that hung casually.

"Damn right it is," Ryuji Sakamoto, AKA Kidd, named after the infamous pirate due to his outfit, grumbled. "Anyway, Carmen's waiting for us. You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, matey~" Takeshi grinned as he leaped to his feet. Just them, a bullet whizzed past him, causing his hair to flap. His face turned into a grin as he looked down to see several Investigators, a few with guns aimed at them. "Took ya long enough boys!"

"It's Phantom and the Kidd!" one of the Investigators cried. "Shoot them down! Capture them!"

Ryuji chuckled. "Not very bright, are they?" he asked, ignoring the bullets flying past them. Takeshi nodded in agreement, and the two moved through the hailstorm of bullets, evading them as they came.

"Dammit! Why aren't we hitting them?!" An Investigator shouted.

"Shut up and keep firing!" The leader yelled.

"Adios, amigos!" Kidd shouted over his shoulder.

And with that, the thieves were gone.

The next day, on the newsletter, as people expected, there was a bold headline:

"THE PHANTOM EXPOSES POLITICIAN!"

The story following it held details of the Thief's latest exploit. It explains the revealing the actions of a corrupt politician taking bribes from companies and illegal parties to favor them or pardon them of their crimes by framing innocent civilians for them instead. He had been laundering money from the government. He hired hit men to take out any political opponents that jeopardized his plans. He even killed his own employees who got too close to his operations or just to get their life insurance. The bastard was immediately kicked out of office, stripped of his position and assets, and sentenced to the death penalty.

Eto grinned from ear to ear. "That's my little bro~"

To Be Continued…

**"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela**


	8. Encounter

**Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride. The creator of many fantastic masterpieces such as: Fire Emblem: Eternity Unto Reformation, Code Geass: Lelouch of the R-eset, The Crow: DxD, Highschool, DxD: Shatter Destiny, RWBY's Reaper, Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday, Fractured Reality, Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack, Devil Survivor: Destiny Rewind, and some of his new projects, such as Lagrange 111: You Are (Not) Alone, Tokyo Ghoul: A Flowered Colored Darker Than Black, Persona 4: The Unseen Truth, Monarch, Kill the Deadly Sin, Code Geass: The Butterfly Effect, DxD: Final, DC Heroes: FORGOTTEN BLOODSTAINED LEGACY, DxD: Nocturne, Project, A Tale of Three Dragons, and more.**

**I highly recommend you check them all out.**

**I really appreciate your help, man. Couldn't have done this without ya!**

**Thank you to all who continue to support this story. **

**Also…..ALL FLAMES CAN JUST BURN IN HELL!... So don't even bother. **

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 8: Encounter**

When Hinami first met Kazuto Kirigaya and Ken Kaneki, she wasn't sure what to make of them.

They were both nice people for sure, but they each had unique traits to their personalities.

For example, Kaneki was more of the meek and timid type.

He was rather unsure of how to approach her, but he appeared to get along well with everyone. Even though he seemed perhaps a bit anxious, he would always smile, as if trying to reassure someone. He was also quite a bookworm, as whenever she would come down to speak with Touka about something, or ask her mom for help, she would always find him with his nose in a book.

Kazuto was, for a lack of better words, one of those gamers that her dad often talked about.

He was simply obsessed with video games. Especially the VRMMORPG ones that her father told her about one time.

She didn't really get the appeal, considering that she never played one before. She was simply content with reading books and drawing pictures. Even still, he was also a bit like Touka too, as he would often get into fights with her, often loud ones that would usually result in a near brawl, only to be stopped by the timely arrival of either Koma, Irimi, or Kaneki.

She didn't really approach or understand them. While they were good people, she was sure of that if they were working here at Anteiku, she found them odd, mostly because of their scent. They were definitely Ghouls, but for some odd reason, they smelled also human as well. At first, she chalked it to them being around that very kind human girl, Sachiko she thinks her name was, but she soon learned that wasn't really the case. They smelled human naturally.

But... why was that? Which were they? Human, or Ghoul? It really confused her, so she wasn't sure how to approach them.

She fiddled her brow in thought. Should she just walk up and talk with them? Or should she wait until later?

"Is something wrong, Hinami?" Her mother asked her.

"It's nothing, Mama..." she told her mother, not really wanting to involve her in her own problems. She was sure she could figure it out on her own later. "Um, did Daddy say when he'll come to pick us up?"

Ryouko smiled lovingly at her daughter as she patted her on the head. "He said soon, when things quiet down over by the 14th. Until then, be patient, okay?" Hinami pouted cutely. It wasn't fair how her mother gave her vague answers like that. She wished she would treat her more like an adult. She would be turning 14 soon! "In the meantime, why don't you work on that book Daddy got you? It's by that author you like, right? Sen Takaraki?"

A smile spread across her lips, giggling at her mistake. "Its' TAKATSUKI, Mama!"

"Oh, whatever." her mother waved her off, laughing cheerily with her. "You know what I mean."

"Okay, Mama!" Hinami nodded. She got off her seat and went to retrieve her book. As she went around the corner, Ryouko's smile fell into a solemn frown.

She couldn't let her daughter truly know what is going on in the 14th Ward. She prayed for her husband's safety.

She was well aware of what her husband was involved in before she met him. He had even said as much when they had showed signs of falling for one another, but she couldn't care less. She was more than willing to brave the danger if it meant being with him. It was that devotion that led to him seeking a more peaceful life in the 14th Ward, and to the birth of their bundle of joy Hinami. She didn't quite understand why it was so scary for her husband to react so strongly to that white-dressed man's appearance, but obviously, they had a history. Even still, she would trust his judgement, and wait for him.

For now, that was all they could do. Wait. At the very least, she was happy that they were would be no signs of boredom. Anteiku was as lively as her husband described it, and Hinami had already hit it off with Touka. She had even started to call her Big Sis, though she was a bit intimidated with that imposing man, Yomo. She sort of understood, but she could tell he was a kind soul. She was very grateful for Yoshimura, as he was obviously close with her husband if he asked the old man to shelter them while things calmed down.

She also took note of three others she had met earlier. They were all slightly older than Touka, but were unique in their own ways.

Enji Koma was a fun man, if a bit eccentric, but he proved to be a jokester and a very good person. He would always say some things about him being the Devil Ape, whatever that was, while Irimi was very kind and mature, something of a big sister. Just like Touka, she immediately became attached to her, and called her Big Sis as well. Yomo seemed a bit stern, if a bit scary, but she could tell he was also a kind person if he was with someone like Yoshimura. She also couldn't forget the other workers who were around Touka's age. That Kaneki boy was such a sweet heart, so kind and gentle, and an avid reader of the same author that Hinami loved if the book she found in his hand was any indication. No doubt the two would bond in a heartbeat over books. That girl, Sachiko, might have been human, but she was probably one of the rare few who did not hate Ghouls. She was a bit nervous around them, but she never did or said anything out against them. She and Hinami got along fairly well, though not as close as she was with Touka and Irimi.

And then came Kazuto Kirigaya.

He was an enigma. That was what she initially thought. She believed it was strange when she first saw him and Touka suspended upside down carrying buckets.

He was also a reader like Kaneki, but his true passion seem to be in the gaming world. He would often speak about various games with Sachiko, wearing the most largest grin she had ever seen on his face as he did. Of course, like Hinami, she also had a perceptive sense of smell, but nowhere near as strong as her daughter's. She was able to tell that both young boys had the smells of both Ghouls and humans, but their interactions showed that they held some sort of normal life, something that Ghouls couldn't have had before.

It confused her, but it also made her a bit interested in them. They seemed to be very nice boys, and it was clear how much that Sachiko girl meant to him, given Koma's teasings from time to time, despite his insistence of having a girlfriend already.

It was amusing to say the least. She also admitted that she was envious of them, to be able to live like that peacefully in times like these.

As she left Hinami to do her reading, she entered the shop downstairs, closing the door behind her. As usual, the store was relatively empty, save for the few Ghoul customers. It was rather easy to spot them, given how they occasionally eyed the door every now and then, and had ordered simple things like a cup of coffee.'

"Sorry for visiting so early, Yoshimura-san," a woman at the counter apologized. She looked rather beautiful, having long, brown hair that reached down to her hips, a heart-shaped face, wonderful brown eyes, and slim, gleaming pink lips. She had quite the physique that most girls would kill for, dressed in a light gray coat with a light brown turtleneck, and dark green leggings underneath a black skirt. "But Mikome-chan really wanted to see Touka-chan again."

Yoshimura chuckled. "It's quite alright, Minami-san." he assured the woman before he looked at the small child that sat in her lap. "And how is our young miko today?"

"I'm doing good~" The little girl chirped happily. She bore a strong resemblance to the young woman, having similar physical features and the same brown eyes. But her hair was a shade darker. She was dressed in a white coat, a pink blouse, and dark leggings underneath a blue skirt.

The woman called Minami giggled. "She's been very happy lately." she said before she adopted a slight frown. "Though, I am a bit displeased with Shinjo."

"Ah, I take it you heard the news?"

"Yes." she nodded before adopting a glare. "I hope he realizes what will happen once he comes home."

Koma laughed, standing near the coffee pot. "Ha! Hell hath no fury like an angry wife!" he said, grinning. "Don't wanna be Shi-chan right about now!"

"Shi-chan?" Irimi raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that you are at least a year younger than him, right?"

"Meh, details!"

"Anyway...I wouldn't want to be him if I were in his shoes." Irimi shrugged. "I'm still surprised that you and him got married and got busy." She looked over at Minami.

Minami grinned. "What can I say?" she chuckled, scratching her cheek. "Love can happen in the weirdest of ways."

"After everything that happened between the two of you for the past 10 years...I'm inclined to agree."

"Eh?" Kaneki became curious about the conversation as he walked over, having finished gathering orders from the customers. "What's going on?"

"Ah, Kaneki-kun, perfect timing." Yoshimura chuckled. "This Minami-san, a regular here at Anteiku."

The woman smiled at him. "How do you do?"

"And the young girl on her lap is her daughter, Mikome-chan."

The girl grinned. "Hello!"

"Ah, It's nice to meet you both." Kaneki bowed.

Minami took notice of the teen's behavior. He seemed rather timid and unsure of himself. She also didn't fail to notice the unique scent coming from him: A mix of Ghoul and human.

"So what's going on?" Kirito questioned as he entered soon after..

"Oh, just introducing a friend." the old Ghoul replied. "Minami-san has been a guest here ever since Anteiku first opened." He grinned wryly. "And her daughter is our number one customer."

Mikome grinned at that, practically dancing in her mother's lap.

"Really? Well, it's nice to meet the both of you." Kirito bowed as well. "My name is Kazuto Kirigaya, but my friends just call me, Kirito"

Minami also noticed that the newcomer had the same scent as Kaneki.

It was strange how they smelled both human and Ghoul at the same time, but she didn't question it. They both seemed like nice folks.

...wait, Kirito? Where had she heard that name before?

"Oi, Kuro-baka!" Touka snapped as she handed a customer a cup of coffee. "Get your butt over here!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Kirito groaned as he left, waving goodbye to the two. "Keep your panties on, Kirishima."

"Ah, Touka-nee!" Mikome giggled as she hopped off her mother's lap and ran over to the blue haired girl.

The blue haired girl smiled as she bent down, ruffling the girl's hair. "Hey, Miko-chan." she said. "How's our number one customer doing today?"

"I'm doing good~!" She said happily.

"That's good."

Kaneki smiled warmly. "Mikome-chan must be pretty popular here at Anteiku, huh?"

"You don't know the half of it." Minami giggled.

It was the understatement of the century. Mikome was very well liked, much like how Hinami was by the workers when they arrived. She was also quite popular with the other Ghouls in the shop as well, mostly because of how bright and cheery she was. Some days, she wondered who she really took after, considering that both of her parents were never that cheerful until they led the lives they had now.

As Minami looked back, she couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it all. She and her husband had contrasting views on the world that they antagonized one another for it. But when it came down to it...he went back and saved her life.

She wasn't sure why he had done it in the first place... but, as she had said before, love could happen in the weirdest of ways.

XXXXXXXXXX

"W-wait, p-please, don't! I-I swear, you can have it all! D-drugs! Money! J-just don't kill me! Please! Plea-"

But the man's pleas went silent as his throat was ripped out.

"Hush hush," the one who held what remained of his Adam's apple in his hand said, a dark smile plastered across their face. "Don't talk, especially when only lies fall from your mouth. Besides, dead men tell no tales, don't they?"

The poor soul could only form incoherent gurgles as a form of begging.

"Oh I know...why don't you just leave and never come back?" The figure thought.

He tilted his head, a hand on his chin as he deeply pondered it before he shrugged his shoulders. "On second thought... if you stayed alive, you might sell the wrong stuff to the wrong person, so... yeah," he grinned widely. "See ya~"

In a swift motion, he stabbed his free hand into the drug dealer's chest and grasped his heart. With a tug, he ripped it out of his chest cavity and crushed it like an egg. The human coughed up a copious amount of blood before falling limp. Nonchalantly, he tossed the body over the ledge of the multi-story building he stood on.

The figure heard the sickening splat, and the screams that followed. He chuckled as he crushed the heart easily, leaving only gushing red bits of flesh and blood. "Never gets old," he said, rather pleased with himself. He was a rather tall man, standing at the imposing height of '5, 12" ft tall, dressed all in black: a black trench coat, a black t-shirt that was completely torn up, faded jeans, leather black boots, fingerless gloves, a spiked collar around his neck, and a leather black belt. Unlike other Ghouls who were masks to hide his identity, he instead had on face paint, which was white with black lips and eyes. His hair was black and messy, completely untamed and wild.

If one had to describe him, they would say he looked to be a rocker.

But he went by an alias fit for his appearance: Crow.

His real name was unknown, and personally, given all the shit that has happened in his life, he's honestly forgotten what he used to be called. Now, he just stuck with what he was called. In fact, he rather liked the name, given how much he liked crows in general. He always found them to be so wonderful, possessing a morbid, if not elegant and demented beauty to them. A shame others didn't see it that way, as it was instead a harbinger of things to come. Eh, oh well. Doesn't really matter. He was glad he knocked off that drug dealer... though he wished he could have gotten the name of his supplier. It would have made things easier, it really would have!

He was about to turn to leave, intending on moving on to the 8th Ward, having heard from Nico that some gang activity was about to brew, when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up straighter. "...alright," he sighed heavily, turning to face the people who had arrived. "Who did I piss off THIS time? No, wait, don't tell me... those sleazebags from that one gang I smashed up a while back? What were you guys called again? No Head Dragon or whatever?"

"Sorry," the one in front of the group apologized. "We're the CCG." Akira Mado narrowed her eyes. "And you, Crow, are hereby under arrest."

Crow raised an eyebrow at this before recognition clicked in his head. A wide grin cracked across his face as he doubled over in laughter, nearly falling to his rear. "Hahahahahahahaha! H-ho man, that's something!" he cackled, wiping a tear from his eye. "I really pissed you guys off, didn't I?"

"Yeah...you pretty much did, dipshit." Fura scowled as he set his briefcase down.

"Heh...I was wondering when the hell you'd guys show up. If I had known you were coming, I would've tidied the place up a bit, make it more presentable."

Philia raised an eyebrow. "Do you... have a few screws loose?" she asked. "You do know we're on a rooftop, right?"

"Whoever said guys like me were stable?" Crow shrugged his shoulders before grinning. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of meeting such beautiful ladies? ...and a couple of old geezers?"

Fura visibly scowled. "Piss off, bird brain."

"Ooh, nice comeback. I like ya~"

"Yeah...this guy is pretty annoying..." Lisbeth frowned as she gained a tic-mark on her forehead.

"So then!" Crow clapped his hands. "Why'm I being targeted?"

"Uh, you're a Ghoul?" Philia pointed out. "And you just killed an innocent man?"

Wrong choice of words. The moment she called the man innocent, the carefree smile that the Ghoul sported fell from his face.

"...innocent?"

"Yes. You just killed a defenseless civilian. Do we really need to spell it out?!" Lisbeth barked.

Crow looked at them with a narrowed glare before he broke off in a sardonic laugh. "Hahahahaha! I-Innocent...?! A-are...are you all really THAT blind and ignorant?! That man may have been defenseless against the likes of me...but he was FAR from being innocent." Any traces of joviality from his past demeanor were erased. "Do you want to know who that guy was? A Drug dealer! A bastard who deals in all sorts of kinds! Stimulants, depressant, hallucinogens, you name it! Hell, they even use innocent, REAL INNOCENT, people as guinea pigs for new drugs they develop. They became addicted and ask for more, despite not being able to afford them, or care about the fact that it's destroying their bodies! Do you know how many lives these bastards ruined thanks to their damn business and avarice?! And when they're through, they just chop them up and harvest their organs to sell on the black market! I'm doing this world a favor...I'm erasing the trash of society to give the decent people a better chance at surviving this harsh world! At least they have the luxury I never had!"

The group physically recoiled, hearing the absolute hatred in his voice. Fura narrowed his eyes as his thumb ran over the switch on the case containing his weapon. "Maybe your right," he said slowly. "Maybe trash like that does need to be erased... But, since when does someone have the right to play judge, jury, and executioner?"

Crow scoffed. "Oh, please! Don't giving me a lesson on morality! You guys do that all the time! You don't ask a Ghoul if he's innocent or not! You don't even give him a second to try and justify himself! You just cut him down right then and there!" He sported a dark grin. "Besides... In case ya hadn't noticed, old man, do I look like I give a damn about who judges me?"

"...no...I guess not..." Fura shrugged. He then flipped the switch of the metal case.

The others had done the same, bringing out their own Quinques. Akira's resembled a sharp, bladed whip with a dagger held firmly in the other hand. Lisbeth's, fitting enough, was a black and red spiked mace with a twisted, almost thorn-like hilt.

The Ghoul grinned wickedly, his eyes developing into the Kakugan. Soon afterward, his Kagune emerged, resembling a pair of misty, crow like wings. "Alrighty then," he chuckled. "Let's have some fun~!"

"You will soon regret those words." Akira stated as she swung her weapon, the whip slithering before it moved to skewer the Ghoul. Crown jumped out of the away and remained airborne through the use of his Kagune. But the others wouldn't have that.

Philia charged in, a pair of twin daggers in her hands bearing a pulsing red edge with an obsidian blade. Crow whirled around, cloaking his body with his Ukaku, shards shooting out while Kotone easily evaded them, weaving through the shards with ease. 'Compared to SAO,' she thought, narrowing her eyes. "This is nothing!"

'She isn't bad,' Fura observed as Crow landed on his feet, immediately trying to defend himself from Philia, who let loose with a barrage of swift strikes. 'But she's overcompensating. Like I told her friend, real life ain't no video game.' He touched the earpiece attached to his lobe. "Oi, Mougan... you and your brat in position yet?"

**[Mmmmmmmmmm! It's notice to insult Shino-kun, especially when she has her sights!]**

**[He's two-hundred kilometers away from us.] Sinon answered as well, her tone quiet and composed. [Wind speed, 40. Just give me a clear shot. I'll hit him.]**

**[Then let her rip my comrade!]**

**[Roger!]**

Fura nodded as he looked to Akira and Lisbeth. "Asada is in position," he told them. "All she needs is a clear shot at him."

"How far away is she?" Akira asked out of curiosity. She was aware that Shino Asada was quite the marksman, given her scores with a firearm, but she was also a bit worried she might not be able to handle the Quinque that was given to her.

"200 kilometers."

"What? Is she even capable of hitting a target from that far away?!"

"Don't underestimate Sinon-san."

Lisbeth grinned. "She wasn't called the best sniper in GGO for nothing."

"Is that all you got?" Crow mocked as he nimbly evaded all of Philia's strikes.

Philia scowled as he whirled around trying to cut his chest, only for him to evade. Unfortunately, he was forced to harden his wings when Akira slashed at him with her whip, causing a small crack in the black crystallized wing.

"Tch, I guess you're better than I thought, tag-teaming me like this."

"Your forgetting someone, bird brain."

Crow's eyes widened as he whirled around, just in time to bring up his wings, defending against an attack from Furuta. His Quinque was arguably very much like a katana, bearing no hilt or guard, and instead possessing a blade and bloody red blade. The blade struck the hardened wings hard, a brief shockwave passing through the two of them as sparks began to fly.

"Oho. Sneaking up from behind eh? How sly of you..."

Fura smirked. "Just don't lose your head." he mocked, earning a frown before he suddenly found his right wing smashed to bits, courtesy of one video game blacksmith. Lisbeth growled as she swung her mace, destroying the crystallized wing with ease before it rammed into Crow's side, causing him to cry out, being sent to the ground. Fura immediately charged in with Philia, intending on keeping him down before Akira moved around from behind.

"Okay..." Crow spat out a bit of bloody before he jumped back on his feet.

Akira's whip lashed out, striking at his back, but the kagune intercepted it. It knocked back the whip, while Crow himself began to avoid being cut down by Philia and Fura. From her position, Sinon kept her aim steady, her finger over the trigger, her breath calm, and her eyes focused on Crow. "He's pretty tough," she commented. "How high is he on the rating scale?"

More or less S-Rank." Fura replied as he swung his weapon.

'S-Rank...' Sinon thought, a sort of apprehension beating in his chest. 'So, he's strong...' Anticipation formed in her heart, a slow, yet noticeable smirk on her face beginning to appear. 'It's just like GGO... Just like the rest of us...'

'He can smile on the battlefield.'

He wasn't different than any of them back in Gun Gale. They all felt excitement in the middle of combat.

All she had to do was wait... wait for him to slip up.

Her finger rested above the trigger. She needed to get her timing just right.

As Crow was being forced back, Philia and Lisbeth began to coordinate their attacks more. Whenever the knife user would begin to strike at him with fast, rapid succession, he would back away, and leave him open to the mace user, who would try to ram at him. It would force him to defend against her, and then be forced to dodge again from Philia, who would take advantage of him from behind. Fura and Akira had also taken advantage of their partnership, as the whip user would strike at him from different angles, often forcing him to try and defend and dodge, only to find the older Investigator right where he was, trying to strike him down. 'Okay, this is getting annoying!' the Ghoul thought as he whirled around, his wings curled around him, and shooting all crystals in all directions. This forced the girls and lone man to dodge. 'I need to keep my distance!'

Sinon smirked. "Don't stay stationary, birdie."

She pulled the trigger. Not a second after that was she thrown back, and a loud BANG echoed in the air.

A large, twisted projectile shot out of the end of the barrel at great speeds. In a span of a second, it cleared half the distance between the shooter and the target.

What happened next confused the Ghoul greatly. He looked down and saw a gaping hole where the right side of his torso used to be.

"...ah, fuck..." he gaped, stumbling back. In the next moment, he found himself going over the edge.

Crow held no resistance as he fell off the building.

The Investigators immediately ran over to the edge after seeing the Ghoul fall. Akira was the first to reach it, stopping just right at the ledge, and peered down.

Down below, Crow had spread his wings half way down, slowing his descent and directing him to the roof of a lower level building.

Fura scowled. "Damn, he's tough..." he muttered as he moved his hand to the communicator in his ear. "Mougan, contact the mobile units. Crow is on the move. See if you can box him in. Asada landed a major wound on him, so he shouldn't be much of a threat now, but you still shouldn't underestimate him. Back them up, will ya."

**[Mmmmmmmmmm! Consider it done, boyo!]**

"Thanks. We'll catch up with you guys in a bit." He turned off the communicator. "Let's move out."

Philia and the others nodded. "Hai."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Yare yare..." Kirito groaned as he plopped down at one of the booths, exhausted from the workload today. "Too much work... What is it with the evening customers? Seriously, it's ridiculous."

"Really?" Kaneki tilted his head. "I thought it was pretty fun." A nervous chuckle escaped him as he scratched his cheek. "Not sure if I can say the same about the customers who tasted your coffee, though."

"Again, I keep telling you, it was mild. Mild!"

"And I keep calling bullcrap!" Touka argued, wary of her language due to Hinami and Mikome being in the shop as well.

Koma sighed. "Oh boy, here we go again."

"You would think they would be tired of arguing by now..." Irimi nodded.

Kaneki would have agreed with their sentiments, but unfortunately, he knew that these two would argue every chance the opportunity presented itself. No matter how trivial it was, they would always argue, and naturally, they would go into it like crazy. In all honesty, it was starting to get rather annoying. "Seems like they argue whenever they get the chance." Eto noted, sitting on the stool next to him. "You'd think they were a married couple."

"Yeah...but don't let them catch you saying that..."

Eto grinned. Kaneki instantly grew concerned, especially when she looked to the two, who looked ready to snap at each other like clockwork. "Hey, Kaya, Irimi, dad!" she called out, instantly setting off alarm bells in his head. Was she going to-? "Don't you think Touka-chan and Kirito-chan loo cute together?!"

"NO WE DON'T!" The two teens snapped back angrily.

"Besides," Touka snarled. "Who'd wanna date this nerd?!"

"Same here!" Kirito growled. "I wouldn't be caught dead with this hothead!"

"Oh? So you two are tsundere for each other?" She grinned.

"I already have a girlfriend, Eto!" Kirito shouted. "A nice, wonderful girlfriend who makes cooking on par with the gods, and she is LEAGUES better than THIS thing?!"

Touka felt a flash of anger flare in her. Did this bastard really just compare her to his human girlfriend?! Did he really just do that?! "Yeah, well, I wouldn't date some idiot who can't even fight worth a damn outside a videogame!" she taunted, earning a scowl in reply.

"Wanna go at it, Dobe-shima?!"

"Bring it, Kuro-baka!"

Minami giggled nervously as she turned to Yoshimura, who looked a bit irritated with what he saw. "I take it..." she hesitated. "They do this often?"

"A bit too often is more like it..." Yoshimura shook his head. "You would think they learned their lesson before? They are becoming an increasing disturbance during business hours."

If you want, I can help with that."

"As much as I would accept your offer, I will have to decline." the old man said, smiling sheepishly. "After all, you wouldn't want Shinjo to find out about this, right?"

"Mm, true." the young Ghoul submitted to the reasoning, and stood up. "Well, I had better get going." she looked to Mikome, who was sitting off by one of the booths, playing with Hinami. "Come on, Miko-chan. Time to go."

The young girl pouted. "Mou~ Do we have to?"

"Yes we do. It's almost your bed time young." She lightly scolded.

"Mou~ Alright..." She reluctantly hopped off the seat and turned to her new friend. "By Hina-nee~Bye Touka-nee~"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." she nodded, turning away from Kirito. "Be careful, okay? And stay out of trouble!"

"I will~" She then skipped over to her mother and held her hand.

When they walked out, Kirito and Touka went right back at it. As they did, Hinami looked at Kaneki. "Um, are Touka-neechan and Kirigaya-san...?" she asked, trailing off as if nervous to actually say the word. Kaneki shook his head. "Not that I know of... Heck, those two are always arguing. They really do act like a married couple."

"SHUT IT, KANEKI!" Both snapped at him, causing the poor boy to flinch.

"But he's right!" Eto giggled. "You two really are like a married couple! You argue just like one!" The two teens in question scowled, turning away from the green-haired Ghoul. They really didn't want to deal with this today, nor listen to Eto's teasing, mostly because any reactions would only cause her to increase with zeal. For his part, Kirito didn't think Touka was a bad person, per say, but her attitude sometimes put him at edge, and when she really got bad, it set him off. Touka was in the same boat as him, as while she didn't think he was a bad person, he was still an annoying brat with emo issues. Sure, she might not have known about his experiences in SAO, but she doubted a death game could compare to the experiences a Ghoul is forced to go through when constantly fearing for their lives from the doves.

Both didn't mind one another...they just couldn't understand one another.

As they continued to argue, the door bell chimed again as the entrance was pushed open. "Hey, Kirito-kun!" Klein grinned as he and Silica entered the cafe. "What's up? You off... work..." he trailed off when he saw the black swordsman engaged in a verbal brawl with Touka still. He sweatdropped, as did Silica, as he looked at Kaneki. "...should we come back later?"

The shy teen shook his head. "Oh, no, it's nothing like that." he assured them. "It's just that Kirigaya-san and Touka-chan are having a... civil disagreement about his coffee."

"Oh, you mean the spicy coffee I've been hearing about?"

"Yes."

Silica tilted her head. "Is Kirito-san's coffee really spicy?" she asked curiously. She had been hearing a bit from Klein's texts that it was supposedly like hellfire and enough to burn your tongue, but she honestly couldn't see it. She knew Kirito liked hot foods, but really, how bad could it be?

"Yep. Although, he keeps insisting that it is mild."

"And it is!" Kirito argued. "I keep telling you guys! I taste-tested it myself!"

Klein gave him a flat look. "Kirito-kun... are you serious?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Your tastebuds just aren't normal, dude."

Silica nodded. "Mm! Remember that special event in July?! The chili festival on the fifteenth floor!"

"Yeah...it just wasn't spicy enough to me."

"NOT spicy?! Dude, that chili literally killed a taster's taste buds for weeks after logging out!" Klein stated.

The special event they were referring to was the "Hot Pod Festival," which was held during the first year that the players had been in Aincrad. It was held on the fifteenth floor, made especially for those who loved hot foods. It was one would expect, foods you would expect in the real world were suddenly right in front of you, and all of them were hot, mild, or quite spicy. There was even a challenge called the "Extra Hot Ghost Chili Challenge," where any with an iron stomach would brave five bowls of a red hot liquid.

Sadly, out of the two hundred competitors in that challenge, there was only one winner. All the others didn't even make it past the first bowl, or gave up a few minutes into the second bowl. Only a handful ever made it to the third, but none, sans the winner, made it to the fourth, and went on to the fifth. One player described the spiciness of the food to be so intense that, were it not for the fact that the challenge was held in town, his HP would have dropped.

Needless to say, the winner was no surprise: Kirito.

He was inhumane, being able to handle something that crazy hot!

"Che," Touka mumbled. "Just comes to show his taste buds are burned off."

"Oh shut up, Dobe-Shima!"

"Kazuto-kun, Touka-chan," Yoshimura spoke up at long last, clearly annoyed with their antics. "How many times must I tell you? Take your squabbles behind the store, or outside." The two turned to the old man, slightly nervous, believing that they were about to be punished again, and immediately quieted down. The old man smiled before he turned to Kaneki. "Kaneki-kun, do you think you can check up on Hinami-chan?"

"H-huh?" the meek boy fumbled slightly before nodding. "O-oh, yeah... sure!"

He left the group and climbed the stairs.

Klein raised an eyebrow as he looked to Kirito. "Hinami?"

"A girl who's staying at Anteiku while things calm down." he answered. "I guess something bad happened."

"Huh, makes sense." the Samurai of SAO shrugged. "The CCG's been on a manhunt all over the news lately. Something about a guy called the Gourmet acting up?"

Kirito frowned, having never heard of this person before, while Touka scowled in annoyance, making it verbally known as well. "Fucking freak's at it again, huh?" she scoffed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Eh?" Silica tilted her head in confusion. "You know this Gourmet person?"

"Unfortunately." she groaned. "He's one of the 20th wards parasites... a total disgusting freak by the name of Shuu Tsukiyama."

Kirito's eyes widened. "Tsukiyama? As in, THAT Tsukiyama?! The multi-billion dollar company?!"

"The one and the same."

XXXXXXXXXX

"W-who are you?!"

"Non, non, mademoiselle... It doesn't do well for you to scream, otherwise your neighbors will come by to see you. We can't have that, now can we?"

A flamboyant voice said. The owner of the voice was a tall male with a light complexion and violet blue hair. He was dressed in a purple pinstripe suit with a red dress shirt and black tie.

The woman was extremely nervous and frightened. When she had returned home, she had found a man sitting atop her desk, apparently waiting for her. Normally, she would have wondered why someone was in her home, usually on the account of breaking and entering, and while the man was handsome, something about that smile of his... terrified her. And his eyes... the best way to describe them would be the eyes of a predator.

"Now...if you don't mind, would you please take the time to answer some of my questions?"

"W-what do you mean?" the woman replied nervously, slowly backing up against her door. She wanted to scream, but she knew that if she did, she'd be dead. If she made so much as a peep, she would die.

"What I mean is that I have questions..." He walked up to her. "...And you have the answers..."

She was pressed further against the door, fear completely overtaking her. Her body was shaking. The man mere smiled at her, perfectly eerie as he paused right in front of her, and placed his hands against her cheek. The touch of his fingers left behind a shudder that ran down her spine.

"Tell me, mademoiselle..." the man spoke again, still smiling. "Which do you prefer more? The right? Or the left?"

"W-what... do you mean?"

A chuckle escaped his lips, one that sent tremors of fear down her back. "I'm asking you... which eye do you want to lose?" Her eyes widened when he stared back at her, with those red, inhuman eyes. "Your right? Your left? Or, perhaps..." His smile became demented, his fingers moving up her face, and stopping right below her eyes.

"...both?"

"Eh?!" She was now beyond frightened and outright horrified. She tried top escape, but the man refused to let her.

"On second thought, perhaps..." His fingers hovered right about her eyelids, his face growing more sickening by the second. "...let me make the decision for you."

"W-wait, please, don't-!"

The moment his fingers dug into her eyes, she screamed.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hahahahahaha," Koma ended up laughing as he washed a glass in his hands. Kaneki sat at one of the stools, shame and embarrassment clear on his face. "You actually caught her eating?"

"Yeah..." he hung his head low. "I was surprised, and I bolted right out of there."

"Whoo boy, that's no good." the burly man chuckled. "Most girls don't like it when people see them eating, especially Ghouls." He gave the meek boy a reassuring smile. "Tell you what? Let me make some coffee for you to take up to her. It'll make things easier for you to apologize."

"Arigato, Koma-san."

The man nodded as he started to brew a cup. Kaneki was slumped over the counter in disappointment and guilt.

Kirito saw this and pulled up a seat. "Having some trouble?"

"Well, you could say that..."

"He accidentally say Hinami-chan eating." Koma informed him. "Most girls don't like it when a guy walks in on them eating, so giving her a cup of coffee is the best way for him to apologize."

"Ah, I see." Kirito nodded in understanding before a smile came across his face. "I think I know how that works... somehow. There was this one time Lisbeth got so angry at me that the only way she would forgive me is if I got this really rare ore for her." A sigh escaped him as he scratched the back of his head. "Took me over a week to get that sucker... Well, it was good for EXP, but still!"

"Heh...sounds like the two of you are good friends." Koma stated.

"Friends?" Klein, who had overheard the few bits of their conversation, joined in as he leaned over Kirito's shoulder, scoffing. "Hah! If you were in SAO with us, Koma-san, you'd see how this lucky bastard gets surrounded with girls!" He shot the black-haired boy a glare. "Dammit, Kirito-kun! Leave some for the rest of us men folk!"

Kirito frowned, unsure of what Klein was talking about. "What are you even talking about, Klein?" he asked, confused. "I'm already in a relationship with Asuna. What does that have to do with-"

"Kirito-kun, in case you haven't noticed, your in the same position as Makoto Itou from School Days, ONLY IN REVERSE!"

"Klein," Kirito felt his eyebrow twitch. Did his friend really just compare him to an anime protagonist who can't even decide who he wants to be with? "How many times do I have to tell you? As far as I am concerned, I am faithful to Asuna, and Asuna alone. I am many things, I might even be stupid, but I am not suicidal enough to try and have a harem. I know how well that goes in real life."

"Hey, I'm just stating an example, man. Don't get your boxers in a bunch." He raised his arms in defense.

At this point, Silica also jumped on the conversation. "But it's true that the other girls like you, Kirito-san!" she stated with a serious frown. It only took her a second to realize what she had just said, a result of her blurting out her own thoughts out of reflex, and promptly felt her face brighten red. "Ah-um-n-no, what I mean is, w-well, they...!"

Koma raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "Oho... sounds like Kirito-kun has, what I'd like to call, a reluctant harem."

"Don't you dare start either, Koma-san!" Kirito glared daggers at the pompadour man.

Kaneki blinked, clearly confused. "A... reluctant harem?"

"A harem centered around a man who doesn't even want a harem," Klein said in a sagely manner, crossing his arms over his chest as he nodded strongly. "There are very rare, and you almost never see one in real life! Nowadays, it's the glorified anime harems where a guy gets lucky with multiple girls! Best examples are Sekirei and Date A Live!"

Kirito groaned, face-palming. "Oh, for the love of...!"

Of course the concept of harems would be glorified in anime. A real harem wouldn't even work, as shown by the realistic results of said concept in School Days.

In reality, a harem was nothing more than having affections for many respective others at once, and expecting them to share the same sentiments and not mind sharing their lover with the other women.

Things like that just didn't work in real life. That is the truth.

Contrary to what others thought, Kirito was no idiot. He was fully aware of how the girls saw him. He had even heard Lisbeth's declaration back at Aincrad over the roaring winds, but said nothing, choosing to keep his damned mouth shut. He was also aware of how Silica saw him as well, that adoring affection that went past a simple elder brother figure. He was even aware of Suguha's feelings for him, able to figure that much out since the events that transpired after Floor 75. Somewhere along the way, Sinon and Philia has also developed feelings for him, though he was pretty sure Sinon would rather shoot herself in the head before saying that unless forced to.

He didn't want to hurt their feelings, but he sure as hell wasn't about to play around with their hearts either. That was why he married Asuna, the girl who had captured his heart completely. It was better to hurt them this way, a simple stab rather than shallow cuts.

That didn't mean he still didn't feel like a jackass afterwards.

To him, it felt like he took their feelings and discarded them. He didn't want to, but he had no choice. He refused to lead any of them on like that indecisive visual novel protagonist.

That, and he wasn't exactly keen on getting chopped up.

"Alright, alright, enough with the harem talk for today." Koma chuckled as he set down the plate of coffee. "Kirito, Kaneki, take this up to Hinami-chan, will ya?"

Kirito blinked. "Eh? But I thought Kaneki was..."

"Eh, just think of this as getting closer to Hinami-chan." the pompadour wearing man said with a jovial grin. "After all, she's only got Irimi and Touka to keep her company. It'd be nice to have some boys in her life, other than her old man, ya know?"

Kirito thought about it, and eventually nodded in understanding. To be honest, he wanted to get to know Hinami a bit more as well. From what he's seen, she seemed like a nice girl, albeit a bit lonely.

Eventually, he nodded. "Alright." he said, looking to his friend. "C'mon, Kaneki." The boy nodded, taking the cup of caffeine into his hands, and left the counter, leaving up the stairs to the guest room upstairs. Not even five seconds once the two boys were out of earshot, Koma looked at Klein, and grinned.

"Alright, spill. Who're the lucky ladies?"

"They are good friends of ours. First there's Lisbeth, our reliable blacksmith, Silica here..." He gestured to the petite girl. "...the beast tamer, we have Sinon, our archer, Philia, treasure hunter, Leafa, Kirito's cousin and swordswoman, and last but not least, Asuna, his wife."

Silica spluttered, her face turning cherry red. "K-Klein-san!" she gawked, unable to believe that he would just outright tell Koma that.

Koma, however, whistled. "Six girls in all, eh? Not bad at all..."

However, Klein's expression adopted into a grim frown. "...The only problem now is...five of them are part of the CCG."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hinami-chan?" Kaneki called out as he rapped his knuckles against the wooden door. "Hello? ...are you done eating?"

"Y-yeah!" Hinami called out shyly. "Come in!"

"Okay." Kaneki turned the door knob and entered the room. Kirito followed in.

Hinami was currently sitting on the sofa, with a small book in her hand. When they had entered, she had immediately bookmarked the page, and closed it, setting it down beside an open notebook. "Pardon the intrusion," Kirito said as he closed the door behind him. "What's up, Hinami-chan?"

"Really? What type of book were you..." He trailed off as he saw the cover. Or more specifically, the name of the author on the cover.

Sen Takatsuki.

Immediately' Kaneki's eyes lit up. "Oh! You're a fan of Takatsuki-san as well?!" he asked excitedly. Hinami blinked by the sudden interest and livelihood in the normally shy boy she had been observing, and nodded shyly. "That's Monochrome Rainbow, right?

"Y-yes...it is..." She nodded.

"That's great! While it is a collection of short stories, it's still one of my favorite works."

Kirito shook his head playfully, rolling his eyes. "You are obsessed with Takatsuki, you know that, Kaneki?"

"Hey, I can't help it if I like morbid authors." the eyepatch-wearing teen defended himself before he looked at Hinami. "Say, which would you say is your favorite short story in Monochrome Rainbow?"

"My favorite...?"

"Yes."

Hinami frowned as she folded her arms, tilting her head deep in thought. The book itself was good, even if she did have a bit of trouble understanding the kanji, but a favorite story in it? That was a tough one. They were all good, in her opinion, but... if she really did have to pick a favorite, it would have to be...

"Little Night...Raintime..."

"'Little Night Raintime'? Oh, you mean Showers at Sunset. It served as the prototype for Egg of the Black Goat."

"Pro...totype?" Hinami frowned at the word. She was unfamiliar with it, having never heard of it before Kirito stepped into their conversation. "It means basis, or a rough draft. It's sort of like an idea, or a blueprint." he explained, earning an 'aah' of understanding from the girl. "Still, your one heck of a hard worker, Hinami-chan." Kirito said, grinning as he kneeled down next to her, looking at the notebook in front of her. "You doing homework?"

"Uh-uh..." She shook her head. "I don't go to school. So whenever I learn something, I always write it down."

"Is that right?" Kaneki pondered. "Well, I guess that's understandable."

"Um... can I ask the two of you something?"

"Sure," Kirito nodded. "What is it?"

"Are you... human, or Ghoul?" the young girl asked, surprising them. "It's just... from far away, you guys smell like humans, but when your so close like this, you also smell like a Ghoul."

The shy boy chuckled bashfully, scratching his cheek. "Well..." he said nervously. "I guess you could say we're humans in the body of Ghouls?" His answer only seemed to make Hinami more confused that before, as she visibly frowned.

"He's saying we're kinda like Frankenstein's monsters." Kirito clarified. "Just without the bolts and stitches."

"...What do you mean?" Hinami was even more confused than before. Frankenstein's monsters...? They didn't look like monsters to her.

"...To put it bluntly...we are artificial Ghouls. We used to be human."

Hinami's eyes widened at this. Artificial ghouls? That was possible? As far as she knew, most Ghouls were born, not made. Huh... she would have to ask her mom about this later. Still, if what they were saying is true, then it would explain their scents.

"How...how could that be?"

"...you could say it was an organ transplant gone horribly wrong..." Kirito shrugged wryly.

"In a lot of ways," Kaneki added, forlorn. "Though, we've tried our best to make the best of it. After all," The boy gave her a grin. "If we hadn't ended up the way we did, we would have never have met Touka-chan, or the rest of the people here at Anteiku."

"Hah," Kirito chuckled. "True that. The only thing that sucks is that I won't be able to eat Asuna's divine cooking anymore..."

"Kirito-san, not everything is about your girlfriend's food."

"It is! You haven't lived unless you tried her cooking! It's the food of the Gods!" He rebutted.

Kaneki and Hinami both sweat dropped. "...you are obsessed, Kirigaya-san."

"Ah, stuff it!"

"I'm just saying!" Kaneki held his hands in defense.

To the boy's shock, Hinami startled to giggle, having found their interactions to be funny.

Kaneki and Kirito looked back at one another. Then they eventually joined in on the laughter.

From outside the door, Touka smiled, leaning against the doorframe. "What do you know," she mused. "Those halfers are good for something after all."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Yare, yare..." Shi sighed as he lay about idly in his makeshift hammock, swaying to and fro with a book laid atop his chest. "So boring here... Haaaah, I wish there was something productive I could do here rather than read books all day."

While he was grateful to the CCG to be kind enough to drop off novels and other pieces of literature into his cell, Shi was beginning to grow bored of reading. He was starting to get stir crazy from the enclosed space.

That, and the only visitors he had were the guards, his cellmates (he was glad they were relatively civil and kept to themselves), and of course, Arima and his protege. His friend was a cold bastard, as usual, and that Asuna girl, well... she was a real piece of work. He understood her hatred for Ghouls, but she obviously held them in great disdain. He pitied her for losing someone so precious, knowing full well he would possibly feel the same way if Minami, or god forbid, Mikome, died. Still, he was a bit surprised to learn that she was an SAO Survivor, which was a curious thing to know, given that most of the survivors of the illustrious death game had all but taken to more peaceful lives.

If what Arima told him was any indication, she was not the only one. Others had joined her for the same reason: revenge. He didn't want to belittle them or anything, but... joining out of revenge was a petty thing, and it most surely would not have made their loved ones happy. If he could have it his way, Shi might have been able to do something, anything to keep them from this life. He himself was a Ghoul, one of those responsible for many heartaches, but he too wished for their end.

After all... he and his kin have caused too much heartache.

"I hope I find a way outta here soon," Shi grumbled, glaring at the ceiling. "Otherwise, I think I'm gonna go stir crazy." As he was about to go back to his book, again in a failed attempt to kill some time, the door to his cell opened. "Oh? Is it time for a check up already?" he asked, looking over to the entrance. "I wasn't aware I had one scheduled for today?"

To his confusion, a raspy, wretched voice chuckled. "I had forcibly imposed myself upon the staff, sadly." they informed him, stepping inside the cell. "Still, you look good... Reaper."

Shi knitted his eyebrows close together, glaring at the figure on the other side of the Plexiglas. "...Kijima."

The stocky figure bowed his head as he tipped his hat. He raised it back up again to reveal the sewn-together patches of skin that composed his face. His mouth was set in a creepy smile and his eyes were but small, white circles.

"Hello, Shinjo." the Chipper greeted creepily. "It's been a while..."

"Yeah," the Ghoul snorted. "Ten years to be exact. So... what do you want?"

"It's rather simple, really." Kijima chuckled. "You see, I've come on the behalf of a certain... someone. I trust you know who I am referring to." Shi rolled his eyes at him, a sign that he knew perfectly well who sent the oddball Investigator. "He's willing to offer you a place with us once again, if you so choose. Your skills are highly valued, after all."

Shi scowled. "And I'll keep giving you guys the same answer: no." he snapped. "I have no intention of joining a group of arrogant, narcissistic piss ants who think they can control the world."

"That's a rather harsh way to describe Arima-kun," Kijima commented, smirking at his words. "But then again, the two of you have always been so close, weren't you? Why must you be so stubborn, Shinjo? Surely you must remember that, at one point, you, too, agreed with our goals."

"Key words: at one point. I have no intention of going back."

Kijima sighed. "You are quite a stubborn man... Another thing you and Arima-kun have in common."

"You know...I'm not sure how I feel being compared to a cold bastard like him..." He shrugged.

"Heh, as if you have any room to talk," Kijima grinned. "You yourself are a cold bastard too... After all, isn't that how you became 'Shi' in the first place... Sagawatari?"

Shinjo's eyes narrowed into a sharp glare upon hearing that name.

"...call me that again, and there won't be a single person in this world, be it man or Ghoul, that will keep you alive, Shiki Kijima."

Kijima grinned widely, having achieved the desired results. "Ah, there it is..." he cackled maliciously. "That is the face of the Reaper of V I remember... It almost seems like yesterday when I saw you slaughter all of those Ghouls. You must have been, what? 13? 14? Heh, no older than Kuzen's child in her early teens, and yet, you became one of the most terrifying Ghouls to ever walk the face of this earth... So, tell me, why is it you remain so adamant on living this false life, Shinjo?"

"It's because I actually found a reason why."

"Oh? And pray tell what that reason is, exactly?"

"...Do you seriously believe I would be that stupid to answer honestly?"

Kijima chuckled. "I suppose not..." he muttered as he stood up.

"Leaving already?"

"I'll be back soon, Shinjo..." the Chipper assured him. "Also... V will still have it's doors open to you."

Shi snorted. "Go to hell."

The sickening grin on the man's face told him that he had already been there as he left the cell, leaving the reaper to himself.

XXXXXXXXXX

"And yet another boring day..." Nishiki sighed. "Seriously, do you guys ever get any good stuff?"

"You mean like, what?" Koma asked. "Drama? Nah, that's only the really stupid customers. When guys like them come in, well..." He grinned wickedly. "I just introduce 'em to the Devil Ape."

Kirito raised an eyebrow as he leaned against the counter. "Devil Ape?" he inquired. "What's that? Some horrible heavy rock band?"

Irimi couldn't help but burst out laughing when Koma face-fault. "O-oh, no, it wasn't anything like that, Kirito-kun!" the woman said between cackles. "It's what Koma was called back in the day before Anteiku was made. He was also the leader of his own little group, the Ape Faces."

The glasses-wearing Ghoul raised an eyebrow, now taking an interest in the conversation. "Ape Faces? ...oh, weren't those one of the top gangs a few years ago here in the 20th Ward?"

"Yep, and I used to be the Black Dog." she nodded. "Me and Koma used to go at it all the time until the manager came by and told us to stop. You think we listened? No. Did we fight back? Yes."

"Did we win?" Koma said as he got back to his feet, having recovered from Kirito's remark from earlier. "Nope. We got our asses kicked... horribly."

"Whoa, really?!" Kirito's eyes widened. He then turned to look at the manager, who kept himself busy by cleaning a cup. This man really took out the leaders of the top Ghoul gangs 10 years ago?

"Yes Indeed." Irimi nodded. "Yoshimura-san was a monster, to put it bluntly."

"Monster?" Koma scoffed. "Hah! More like demon! It took us MONTHS to heal up from the beatdown the old man gave us!"

"Oh, come now, Koma-kun." Yoshimura chuckled. "It wasn't that bad."

"Several hundred scars all over say otherwise, manager."

The three young males turned their heads back and forth between them. Just what the hell happened all those years ago?

"W-was Yoshimura-san that scary back in the day?" Kaneki asked timidly.

"Eh, I dunno." Touka shrugged. "All anyone really knows about him is that he's just a Ghoul who prefers peace over bloodshed. That's kinda the reason why the 20th Ward is so peaceful compared to the others." A small grin tugged at her lips. "But, you try anything with his daughter, and expect to be cut up into a hundred tiny pieces."

"Huh..." Kirito nodded. "So, he's one of those kind of parents, huh? Hah, I pity the poor guy Eto marries!"

"Just don't let her catch you saying that. You'll never hear the end of it."

"Yeah, no shit." Nishiki snorted. "She damned near chewed my head off when I brought it up to her."

"Brought what up to who?" A familiar voice chimed in.

Nishiki looked over his shoulder, and scowled. "Oh, you."

Eto pouted at the remark, setting down her purse on the counter. "Mou~, why do you have to be so mean, Nishiki-kun?" she asked in mock hurt. "What have I ever done to you to earn such ire?"

"Oh, I dunno, how about the fact that you almost killed me a few years back?"

"In her defense, Shitty Nishiki," Touka interjected. "You were asking for it when you thought she was trespassing on your feeding grounds."

"Well excuse me for being territorial."

"What are you?" Kirito snickered. "A dog?"

"Screw you, Kirigaya."

The conversation reached its end when the doorbell jingled, signaling the arrival of a new customer. Touka immediately put on her customary, well-used smile, turning to the door. "Hello, welcome to..." she trailed off as the smile fell from her face in favor for a scowl. Nishiki immediately became on edge, glaring at the newcomer while Kirito and Kaneki looked at them with interest.

"Ah, the fresh smell of coffee, first thing in the morning..." the man inhaled deeply, lifting his head back. If one were to describe him, he would be a perfect fashion model, dressed in a vibrant purple, designed suit with a red undershirt, a purple tie forming into a noose around the overturned collar, and a smile that would send many women swooning, indigo eyes, and dark, almost purple hair. "Es ist so... wunderbar!"

To Be Continued…

**"Everyone carries his own monsters." -Richard Pryor**


End file.
